Broken Bridges, Mended Hearts
by Elly3981
Summary: Four years after the fall of humanity, Guren Ichinose takes in a young girl and teaches her how to fight so she can avenge the murder of her family at the hands of Ferid Bathory. Yuichiro Hyakuya becomes an esteemed swordmaiden of the Japanese Imperial Demon Army who soon finds herself torn between her loyalty to her guardian and her love for her childhood friend...
1. Swordmaiden of the Demon Army

**Disclaimer: I do not own Owari no Seraph (Seraph of the End). I write this for your enjoyment only. On another note, this story is a direct sequel to my previous fem!Yuu fic, "Who She is Within" and I strongly recommend newcomers to this fic to read that one first because I will be making many references to it throughout the story which will be an alternate version of the Shibuya/Shinjuku arc. This is intentional on my part because I want to make things different and interesting instead of parroting the canon timeline with just Yuu's gender swapped. I would also like to thank my beta reader, ResidentialPsycho of DeviantArt for her help in making this fic possible. Enjoy and please review!**

 **Broken Bridges, Mended Hearts**

 **Chapter 1: Swordmaiden of the Demon Army**

 **October 16, 2020**

 _"Hey, big brother Yuu? Will you take us to America with you someday?" Little Aiko asked as she tugged on Yuichiro's short livestock uniform sleeve while her big "brother" was sweeping the living room floor of their humble little home._

 _Yuichiro smiled as she set down the broom she was using and easily lifted her youngest orphanage sister into her arms before giving her a kiss on the cheek._

 _"Of course, I will if I ever get the chance," she answered cheerfully while spinning Aiko around in the air, making the younger girl squeal with delight._

 _Akane, whose ears had picked up the sound of her orphanage sisters laughing from the kitchen, stepped into the living room and could not help laughing herself when she witnessed the scene. But as much as she hated to ruin the moment, Akane required Yuichiro's help in the kitchen to prepare dinner._

 _"Hey, Aiko, can I borrow Yuu for a minute?" she called cheerfully while waving to catch the older girl's attention._

 _Taking the hint, Yuichiro put Aiko down before ruffling her short brown hair and turning to Akane._

 _"Yes, Akane? What do you need?"_

 _"I need a bit of help in the kitchen if you don't mind."_

 _"Of course not," Yuu answered. Turning back to Aiko, she bent over and gave the younger girl a playful light flick on the nose. "I have to go help Akane now so that you, Mika, and the others can have dinner soon, ok?"_

 _"Ok, Yuu! I'll go get Chihiro to help set up the table!" the younger girl said gleefully before running off to find their blue-haired sister._

 _After Aiko left, Yuichiro followed Akane into the kitchen where she was making vegetable soup. It was going to be a simple dinner as always but nobody complained. Since their arrival in Sanguinem, the Hyakuya children were grateful to have anything decent to eat at all and greatly appreciate the efforts of Mika, Yuu, and Akane to provide for them._

 _As they watched Mikaela and the younger kids help each other set up the dinner table together from the kitchen doorway while waiting for the soup to cook, Akane placed a hand on Yuichiro's shoulder._

 _"The kids really look up to you, Yuichiro. I hope you'll tell them the truth someday…" she said gently._

 _Knowing exactly what her sister meant, Yuu nodded as she placed her hand over Akane's and gave it a gentle squeeze. "I will, Akane... when I'm ready..." she promised quietly._

 _The brunette girl turned and looked at Yuu for a moment. "Hmm…ok, I trust you."_

 _Though it was a promise Yuichiro Hyakuya fully intended to keep, she would never get the chance…_

 _Especially now that her precious family's lifeless corpses laid on the tile floor all around her at the gates of Sanguinem…_

 _"I can't just leave you! We were going to see America together, remember?!"_

 _"Just go, you idiot! You can see America for me. Now go…" Mika pleaded._

 _One last kiss and a confession…_

 _"I love you, Mikaela…good-bye…"_

 _And a life left behind…_

 _No… I don't want to go… but I had no choice. They were all dead… And there was nothing I could do, nothing!_

 **SSSSSS**

"Hey, Miss Hyakuya! It isn't wise to space out while we're outside the walls!"

Yuichiro gasped and her eyes shot open when she heard her fellow guardsman and school classmate of nearly four years, Satoshi Hiwatari ***1*** , call out to her. Both of them were clad in the black and green uniform of the Japanese Imperial Army with Yuichiro wearing a female version consisting of a concealing one-piece dress and cape with the exception of a short pleated skirt to allow for freedom of movement. But since she hated having the skin of her legs exposed, Yuichiro also wore thigh-high stockings in addition to her knee-high black leather boots. Her long raven hair was tied in a low ponytail she wore under the cap that was part of her guard uniform.

"I'm sorry, Sato," she apologized. "I just needed a minute…"

Satoshi's brow furrowed in concern. They had been on guard duty outside the walls for the last few hours and their shift was almost over now that it was approaching midnight. So far, it had been an uneventful night but he suspected that Yuu might be tired or unwell for some reason.

"Are you ok, Yuichiro? If you aren't feeling well, you should've just taken the night off. I'm sure Daisuke, Takeshi, and I would have been ok without you at least for tonight. And it's your birthday, too."

"I'm fine, Sato," the girl insisted as she rested a gloved hand on the hilt of her sword. "As for my birthday, don't worry about that; it's not like I see it as anything special to celebrate."

Although she did not state the reason, Yuichiro's birthday was also the anniversary of the night she lost her first family, the Hyakuya orphans. Even now, the ravenette was still tormented by the fact that her freedom, her very life, costed them theirs, even if it was something she had absolutely no control over.

And after spending the last four years of her life with a new family, Yuichiro had to leave them behind as well when she was accepted into the Shibuya Guard and moved into a dormitory near JIDA Headquarters while attending Shibuya High School. She had passed the entry exam into the Demon Army a few months ago with flying colors and now set her sights on joining the Moon Demon Company which would require her to take an additional (and more difficult) entry exam, one she was currently studying rigorously for.

Satoshi was startled at Yuichiro's comment. He knew it was normal for older people to disregard their own birthdays by the time they reach a certain age but his fellow guard was only sixteen, an age celebrated especially by girls.

"You know, you sound kind of like an old lady when you say that, Yuu. You're sixteen, not sixty for Christ's sake," the blue-haired boy said in astonishment. ***2***

Yuichiro glared at him. "Never mind that," she said, not appreciating his joke. "We still have a guard duty shift to complete if you haven't noticed."

Satoshi sighed and raised his hands in the air as if acknowledging defeat. Although he was concerned for Yuichiro, he knew better than to argue with the girl when her mind was made up about anything. Unless Satoshi was her superior officer, which he was not, Yuichiro had no reason to heed his words and they both knew it.

"Ok, ok, fine. Sheesh, why do you have to be so difficult sometimes, Yuu? After knowing each other for almost four years, I'd think you'd loosen up a bit and learn to take a joke by now."

Yuichiro gave him a blank look. "Loosen up? I find it a bit hard to 'loosen up' around someone who bribed Takeshi Saehara to pull up my skirt just to see if I was really a girl," she snorted.

Satoshi rolled his eyes. "Seriously, are you still bitter about _that,_ Yuichiro? We did say we were sorry and gave you some presents so why can't you let bygones be bygones?"

Before Yuu could answer, they heard an alarmed Daisuke Niwa calling from behind them.

"Yuu! Sato! Look out, a Four Horseman of John has appeared!"

"Shit!" Yuu cursed as she quickly withdrew her blade from its sheath in one fluid motion and prepared to charge toward the gigantic white arachnid-like monster that just broke through a nearby billboard. And from the looks of it, the creature was hungry and looking for some fresh meat, namely the group of guards before it.

Alarmed, Satoshi attempted to grab Yuichiro by the shoulder and hold her back.

"Not so fast!" he warned. "You mustn't fight that thing alone! Let the guys cover your back first!"

Although he didn't mean anything by it, the ravenette took her fellow guardsman's words the wrong way as she did any comment she believed cast her ability to fight in doubt simply because of her sex.

"What? You don't think I can take that damn monster down just because I'm a girl? Well, screw you, Satoshi Hiwatari!" Yuichiro snapped as she broke free of his grip and charged towards the menacing creature alone with her sword drawn.

Although he tried to stop Yuichiro only because he didn't want to see her get hurt needlessly, Satoshi knew he had unwittingly struck a nerve with the girl by his comment and realized it too late.

Despite what Satoshi, Daisuke, and Takeshi thought, Yuichiro was able to take down the monster alone by striking a weak spot between its eyes and driving her sword into its brain before slicing it clean in half while ignoring the dark blood splashing over her. And easily too considering that she had studied the monsters that were unleashed upon mankind after the apocalypse at great length.

After the monster's lifeless body collapse to the ground, Yuichiro removed her sword and shook the blood off the blade with a single swiping gesture before sliding it back into the sheath at her belt.

When Satoshi, Daisuke, and Takeshi finally caught up to her and confirmed that the monster was indeed dead, they found themselves reprehending their fellow guard for her reckless though successful, act.

"That was horribly reckless, Yuu!" Takeshi exclaimed.

"Not to mention an act of insubordination," Daisuke added with his arms crossed. "You know we'll have to report this to the higher ups when we get back, don't you?"

Yuichiro narrowed her eyes at her fellow guards but appeared unfazed by the warning.

"I don't care," she said coolly. "Do what you will. But never underestimate me just because I'm female again, understand?"

Satoshi clapped a hand to his head in frustration. "Dammit, Yuu, I didn't mean it like _that!_ Why do you always have to take everything I say the wrong way?"

"Must be PMS…" Takeshi muttered. That comment got him a glare from the other two boys as well as Yuichiro herself. By now, they all knew the brunette boy had an unfortunate tendency to say the wrong thing at the wrong time and making a bad situation even worse.

"Like you would know anything about _that,_ Saehara!" Yuu snapped as she turned around and prepared to go back inside the walls. "Anyway, I believe our shift is now over and I for one could use a hot meal and bath. Good night, _boys!"_

And with that, Yuichiro Hyakuya left her fellow guards and classmates without another word.

After she was gone and out of earshot, Daisuke sighed in frustration. "Seriously, working with girls can such a pain, even if it _is_ Lieutenant Colonel Ichinose's orders," he said.

"Well, if you ask me, I guess it's probably his way of punishing us for what we did to Yuichiro back in seventh grade," Satoshi confessed.

"It's times like this I wish Yuu really _was_ a boy," Takeshi added. "Wasn't she listening when our superiors told us never to act alone when engaging the enemy?"

"Heh, there's no guarantee she would be any easier to deal with even if she was one of the guys; we've all dealt with our fair share of difficult male comrades as well," Satoshi pointed out before getting to the more important issue at hand.

"Anyway, we better head on back. So who'll do the honors and report Yuu's act of insubordination to her guardian?"

The other two boys were silent. No one really wanted to answer that, including Satoshi himself. Maybe it was the still-lingering guilt over the skirt-pulling prank they played on Yuichiro years ago in addition to the fact that it was also her birthday but they all knew it was something that had to be done.

"How about we draw straws for that, Sato?" Takeshi suggested quietly. That was the smartest thing he said all night.

"Good idea, Takeshi," Daisuke snorted before holding his hand out to the other boy. "You got any straws?"

The brunette boy looked down in embarrassment at suggesting a plan they didn't have the means to carry out.

"Umm… not really," he confessed.

"Ok, how about paper, rocks, and scissors? First one out gets to tell the lieutenant colonel," Satoshi suggested.

The other boys nodded. "Agreed," they said.

 **Footnotes:**

 **1\. Satoshi Hiwatari, Daisuke Niwa, and Takeshi Saehara are major characters in another one of my favorite anime series, DN Angel, and will be making cameo appearances in my AU OnS fic. They also appeared in my prequel "Who She is Within".**

 **2\. About 3 million people in Japan are Christians so after the apocalypse, some may survive and mention Christ in difficult or awkward situations.**


	2. An Absurd Order

**Disclaimer: I do not own Owari no Seraph (Seraph of the End). I write this for your enjoyment only. This story is an alternate version of the Shibuya/Shinjuku arc with differences from the original; please refer to the footnotes at the end. Once again, I would also like to thank my beta reader, ResidentialPsycho of DeviantArt for her help in making this fic possible. Enjoy and please review!**

 **Chapter 2: An Absurd Order**

 **October 17, 2020**

Yuichiro slowly opened her eyes when she felt the sunlight touch her face from a small gap in her bedroom curtain. Looking at the alarm clock on her desk, the ravenette saw that it was about seven o' clock in the morning, the time that she normally woke up every day for school. Only that today was Saturday and school was out for the weekend. And even though she knew she could sleep in if she wanted, for some reason, Yuichiro found that she could not fall back asleep, try as she might.

Perhaps her restlessness was due to what she saw as a barb by Satoshi Hiwatari underestimating her ability to fight a Horseman of John alone simply because she was a girl. Deep down, Yuichiro knew the blue-haired boy didn't mean it like that but the way he said it just riled her for some reason and made the girl feel the need to prove herself which she did.

Knowing that any more attempts to fall back asleep would be futile, Yuichiro sighed and placed an arm over her forehead for a moment before finally getting up. Unlike her room back at Guren's house, Yuu's new living quarters was considerably smaller and less luxurious but the girl had no issue with it. She was a soldier now and had less need for luxuries though she was still grateful that she had her own bathroom and shower at least.

Stripping off her nightgown, Yuichiro stepped into the shower and turned on the water. When it finally reached a comfortable temperature, the girl wetted her long raven hair, which now hung to her waist when unbound, before putting on some shampoo. After returning home from guard duty the evening prior, Yuichiro was exhausted and chose not to wash her hair while showering before bed so her long tresses smelled of blood from the Horseman of John that she had slain alone. She knew that Guren would not be pleased when, not if, he heard the report of her act of insubordination but supposed it couldn't be helped: what's done was done.

As she rinsed out the shampoo, Yuu noticed the blood that had mingled with the water coming out as well. It wasn't much considering that she had tied back her hair before going on guard duty, just enough to make the water that was now going down the shower drain slightly pink but the girl wasn't bothered by it. Getting blood on her hair and body did not disturb her in the slightest; she had gotten used to it shortly after joining the Shibuya Guard a year ago even though she was not totally desensitized to violence.

After she had finished showering, Yuichiro dried herself off with a warm, fluffy towel that she also used to rid her hair of the excess water before rubbing some scented lotion onto her skin. Even after she had moved out of Guren's home and into her new dorm, Shinya continued to send Yuichiro gifts of brand-name soaps, lotions, shampoos, conditioners, and even body sprays and perfumes which she was secretly grateful for since they were way better than the generic toiletries the Demon Army provided.

Normally, Yuichiro liked to let her hair dry naturally since she favored washing it at night before bed but since she did not want to wait a few hours in her dorm for that to happen, the girl opted for using a blow-dryer and flat iron, high-tech ones she had received as gifts from Goshi for Christmas. Now that her hair was much longer than it used to be when she was pretending to be a boy, Yuichiro had to put more time and effort into maintaining it as well. When on guard duty, she normally wore it in a low ponytail underneath her uniform cap.

But since Yuichiro had neither guard duty nor school today, she chose to wear it in a high ponytail after getting dressed in a white turtleneck sweater and knee-length burgundy skirt. After her guardian had discovered her true sex three years ago, Yuichiro also made it a habit of putting on make-up when going out every day, though she no longer wore nail polish as frequently since her hands and feet were usually covered by the boots and gloves of her guard uniform anyway.

As soon as she had finished getting dressed, Yuichiro heard a knock at her door. Curious as to who would see her this early in the morning, the ravenette called out:

"Yes? Who is it?"

"It's me, Shinoa. I wanted to ask if you would join me in the mess hall for breakfast."

Yuichiro blinked. While it was pretty normal for them to have breakfast together, Shinoa usually waited for her to show up at the JIDA headquarters mess hall instead of going all the way to her dorm room to ask. Nevertheless, the ravenette answered the door to let her friend in.

As soon as she was inside, Shinoa took in Yuichiro's casual dress. "It looks like I came just in time; I'd hate to disturb you while you were still asleep. After your late-night shift, I was expecting you to still be in bed."

Yuichiro narrowed her eyes at the other girl in suspicion. "What's this really about, Shinoa? You normally don't come all the way to my dorm just to ask me out to breakfast."

Shinoa sighed. "You're right; there _is_ something I need to talk to you about but I'd rather not do it here while both of us are hungry. Will you please join me in the mess hall?"

"Fine… just give me a minute to put my shoes on."

"Sure."

 **SSSSSS**

"So what is it you wanted to talk to me about?" Yuichiro asked as soon as she and Shinoa were settled on a small table in the JIDA headquarters mess hall with their breakfast.

The purple-haired girl whistled as she watched Yuichiro munch on a piece of toast.

"My, you're really quick to get down to business. Guren was right; there's no beating around the bush with you!"

"Spill, it Shinoa, I haven't got all day," Yuu said impatiently.

"Ok, ok. I got a call from the lieutenant colonel this morning. He didn't sound too pleased with you. Any idea why?" Shinoa asked as she sipped on her cup of orange juice.

"Let me guess, one of the boys from last night ratted about me hogging all the glory for myself by killing that Horseman of John without their help, right?" Yuu asked sarcastically. In all honesty, she could care less about glory or credit. As far as she was concerned, the boys could have it.

Shinoa nodded. "Unfortunately, Takeshi Saehara got that dubious honor," she answered with just a touch of humor. "I actually felt sorry for him since none of your teammates really wanted to rat you out to Guren. So what happened, Miss Hyakuya? You normally don't have a problem following orders. Why now?" ***1***

Yuichiro was silent for a moment as if she found the question uncomfortable but eventually gave in and spilled her own beans.

"I got riled when Satoshi made an off-handed comment about my ability to perform in battle because I'm a girl," she answered flatly.

Shinoa looked at her incredulously. "Seriously? You committed an act of insubordination over a trivial thing like that? I'm sure Mr. Hiwatari didn't mean it that way; we all know you get a bit sensitive when you think people doubt you because of your gender."

"Well, I can't really help that having been raised the way I was. I believe I told you my story back in seventh grade if you recall." ***2***

"I do. And I'm sorry your parents did that to you but you need to get over it and move on. I would have thought that after living with someone like Guren Ichinose for almost four years, you would have grown a thicker skin by now. In any case, there's another thing he wanted me to talk to you about and frankly, it's a concern of mine as well."

Yuichiro raised a brow. "And that is?"

Shinoa cleared her throat before continuing. "It's come to our attention that you haven't made any new friends beyond myself, Mitsuba, Satoshi, Daisuke, and Takeshi since you joined the Shibuya Guard and enrolled at Shibuya High. And that was at least a year ago."

"I haven't seen Mitsuba in school for a long time," Yuu retorted harshly. "As for why I haven't had much luck making new friends, whose fault do you think that is? Don't you think it's a bit hypocritical of Guren to demand that I make new friends while also being quite selective of the friends he allows me to have as well? By the way, I also find it _highly_ suspicious how often you intervene when certain guys get too close to me. Could it be that Guren asked you to spy on me to ensure I don't make any friends he doesn't approve of?"

Instead of being offended or trying to deny Yuichiro's accusation, Shinoa simply grinned and threw her arms up in mock surrender.

"You got me there, Yuichiro. I've always known you to be rather astute and that I wouldn't be able to keep my 'criminal activities' a secret from you for long. If you want me to be frank, yes Guren did order me to keep all those hormone-crazed boys away from you. He even specifically told me that you are not to befriend anyone he deems a 'hooligan.'" ***3***

"Really, Shinoa? I wasn't aware that over _ninety percent_ of the boys at our school qualify as 'hooligans' unless Guren has a very broad definition of the word."

"Aww, come on, he's just trying to protect you," Shinoa teased, purposely neglecting to tell Yuichiro that Guren had been none-too-pleased to hear how many boys at their school had been eyeing her like a piece of prime rib but she had been too absorbed with her studies and training to even notice.

"Well, his over-protectiveness isn't doing me any favors. In fact, it's suffocating me," Yuichiro snapped.

"Well, I'm sorry you feel that way and I'd hate to be the bearer of bad news but your guardian also specifically told me that he will not allow you to return to guard duty or take the entry exam into the Moon Demon Company until you make at least one new friend, a friend that he approves of, that is."

Yuichiro found herself glaring at Shinoa as if she were the one giving her the outrageous order.

"What? Are you serious? Guren must be out of his flipping mind!" Yuu nearly shouted, unaware that she was getting loud enough to turn a few heads in their direction.

Ignoring the attention they were drawing, Shinoa merely shrugged her shoulders and gave Yuichiro an innocent look.

"Maybe. But he IS the commander of the Moon Demon Company and you won't be able to get in without his approval so I suggest you get to it, Miss Hyakuya."

Knowing that it would be useless to argue with Shinoa any further since it was not the other girl's decision whether or not she could return to duty or join the Moon Company, Yuichiro groaned in frustration before getting up and storming out of the mess hall. She had eaten only half of her breakfast but Shinoa's news infuriated her so much, the ravenette lost her appetite and didn't feel like eating the rest.

After Yuichiro had left, Shinoa finished the rest of her own breakfast alone in silence. The other girl had reacted to the news exactly as she had expected. And even though Shinoa had often found herself at odds with Lieutenant Colonel Guren Ichinose, this was one thing she had to agree with him on. Yuichiro Hyakuya was sociable enough at school and work when she needed to be but even so, she still didn't allow herself to get too close to others and kept everyone at arm's length, including Shinoa herself. ***4***

But that was something that was going to have to change and soon. Especially if Yuichiro was serious about wanting to join the Moon Demon Company.

 **SSSSSS**

 **October 19, 2020**

After her most unpleasant conversation with Shinoa, Yuichiro spent the rest of the weekend in her dorm room reading, listening to music, and even singing to pass the time since she was not allowed to return to guard duty or go to the gym at JIDA headquarters to work out and train either. So upset was she at Guren's absurd orders that Yuichiro declined invitations to go out with her other classmates, particularly Satoshi, Daisuke, and Takeshi since they were the ones who ratted her out to him.

But no matter how upset she was at her fellow guards and classmates, Yuichiro knew that she had only herself to blame for her predicament. If the three boys had not reported her, they would have also been disciplined had any of the other guards who were on duty that night witnessed her act of insubordination as well.

Anyone who knew of Yuichiro's punishment would probably think Guren let her off a bit too easily but the girl herself knew better. Even though she was no longer living with him, Yuichiro swore that her guardian still enjoyed making her life difficult, even from a distance. She also did not appreciate Guren appointing Shinoa Hiragi, his subordinate in the Demon Army as well as Shinya's adoptive sister, to spy on her either. And even though the younger girl tried to keep it a secret, Yuichiro was still able to connect the dots pretty quickly. After all, it couldn't be a coincidence that they had _every single class_ together since Yuichiro enrolled at Shibuya High, even homeroom.

Even so, that did not change the fact that Yuichiro's punishment still stands: she was not permitted to return to guard duty or take the Moon Demon Company entry exam without her guardian's seal of approval so the girl had no choice but to try and meet his ridiculous condition. Which was to make a new friend at school, one he actually approved of.

And that was going to be quite difficult if Guren thought the majority of the boys at her school were "hooligans." And since Yuichiro herself was so much of a tomboy as well as obsessed with her studies and training, making friends even with other girls was nigh impossible considering that she wasn't interested in shopping, fashion, gossiping, or dating for that matter. With her sharp hearing, Yuichiro often heard the other girls whisper unflattering comments about her when they thought she wasn't listening.

Comments such as how she was attracting the attention of boys left and right with nary a care.

And without even trying.

Not like any of that mattered to her. Yuichiro wasn't here to flirt, date, or be popular with her classmates. She was here to study and train, to perfect her sword fighting as well as other combat skills so that she could join the elite Moon Demon Company which, unfortunately, her hardass guardian also commanded and called the shots on who was allowed entry and who wasn't.

Even if it was Yuichiro herself.

Incredulously, most JIDA cadets actually thought Yuu had an unfair advantage being the ward of Guren Ichinose but the girl herself knew better. She knew he was not the kind of person to play favorites or hand over anything to anyone without them having truly earned it first. The time Guren gave Yuichiro her first sword after she assisted him in eliminating a rogue vampire during the Liberation of Shinjuku was proof of that.

Trying to shift her thoughts to more positive ones to begin her school day, Yuichiro opted to use darker eyeshadows and lip color than she normally did as she stood in front of her bathroom mirror putting on make-up. Unlike before, the girl actually intended to draw attention to herself so she could make a new friend, hopefully, one that her guardian will actually like and approve of. Afterward, Yuichiro brushed her long raven hair which she had not cut with the exception of her bangs since the day Guren discovered she was a girl three years ago.

While training or on guard duty, Yuichiro normally wore her hair in a high or low ponytail. But when going to school, she wore it in a side-braid in memory of her eldest orphanage sister, Akane, who had always wanted Yuichiro to grow out her hair and embrace her femininity. In three short years, Yuu's raven tresses had grown a whole yard from the spiky boyish cut she used to wear in her early childhood until she was thirteen.

After she had finished braiding her hair and securing it with a mint green tie to match the sash on her school uniform, Yuichiro made sure to smooth out the dark gray, green, and black sailor fuku of Shibuya High School clad on her person before putting on a pair of black thigh-high stockings and loafers. Though she was very fond of the pair Shigure had bought for her when she was twelve, Yuichiro had outgrown them by the time she was fifteen and required new ones for school.

And ever so thoughtful, the older raven-haired woman had bought her two new pairs of loafers before she moved out of Guren's home to join the Shibuya Guard. At sixteen years of age, Yuichiro Hyakuya now stood five feet, five inches and weighed about a hundred and twenty pounds, quite a change from the scrawny waif she was when Guren took her in. After four years dedicated to intense sword-fighting and martial arts training as well as sniping and physical conditioning, Yuichiro was no light or delicate flower. ***5***

Nor did she want to be.

After her near death experience escaping Sanguinem as well as from falling off a waterfall ledge into a lake and having to be saved by Guren because she couldn't swim, Yuichiro vowed that she would never again allow herself to become a helpless "damsel in distress" as Westerners used to call it. Since then, the girl had put even more effort into her combat training as well as learning how to swim.

Before finally leaving her dorm, Yuichiro sprayed on some of the Gucci perfume she had received as a gift from Shinya and grabbed her black leather schoolbag that was set near the door. This was it. Today the ravenette was going to make her first attempt to find new friends in over a year since she enrolled at Shibuya High. If Yuichiro were still living with Guren, Sayuri, and Shigure, she might have asked the two older women to wish her luck because, with her guardian's difficult conditions, she was certainly going to need it.

 **Footnotes:**

 **1\. In canon, male!Yuu is often disobedient, going against orders frequently until he was suspended from the army at the beginning of the manga/anime timeline. Fem!Yuu normally follows orders without problems until someone doubts her ability to fight because of her gender, something she is sensitive about.**

 **2\. Male!Yuu and Shinoa did not meet until they were in 10th grade in the canon story. In my AU, fem!Yuu and Shinoa have known each other since 7th grade.**

 **3\. In canon, Guren often teases male!Yuu for being a virgin (cherry boy). But with fem!Yuu, I'd imagine he'd be quite protective of her chastity.**

 **4\. Male!Yuu is often anti-social and quite lazy when it comes to school and his studies since he is only interested in fighting vampires. Fem!Yuu studies hard and is sociable enough when she needs to be though she still keeps people at arm's length. Both need to learn the importance of trusting and working closely with others as a team.**

 **5\. At age 16, Male!Yuu stands about 5 feet, 7 inches in height and weighs 130lbs. Fem!Yuu is slightly smaller at 5 feet, 5 inches and weighing 120lbs.**


	3. Thou Shalt Not Befriend Hooligans

**Disclaimer: I do not own Owari no Seraph (Seraph of the End). I write this for your enjoyment only. This story is an alternate version of the Shibuya/Shinjuku arc with differences from the original; please refer to the footnotes at the end. Once again, I would like to thank my beta reader, ResidentialPsycho, for her help in making this fic possible. Enjoy and please review!**

 **Chapter 3: Thou Shalt Not Befriend Hooligans**

 **October 19, 2020**

 _Absolutely boring._

Was Yuichiro's thoughts on her history lesson. Her teacher, a young man in his early twenties was nothing like the older, more confident teacher she remembered during the brief time she was able to go to school like a normal child after her parents passed away and she was left in the care of the Hyakuya Orphanage. Yuichiro also found it difficult to take a teacher who was barely older than herself seriously even though she did show all of them the proper respect that people in their position warranted.

Even so, the ravenette had to resist the urge to yawn as her history teacher went through the origins as well as cause and effect of the American Civil War. Yuichiro already knew the answers to all the material he was covering for the upcoming test, having read many books on U.S history and culture while she was still living with Guren, Sayuri, and Shigure. If it didn't look so disrespectful, the girl might have fallen asleep right at her desk.

"How boring…" Yuichiro mumbled as she placed an arm on her desk and rested her cheek in her hand, not realizing that she had just spoken her thoughts out loud.

Her teacher, whose ears picked up Yuichiro's unintended complaint, turned around slightly and looked towards her direction.

"Hmm? What was that, Miss Hyakuya?"

At the sound of her teacher's voice, the girl finally realized that she had let her disinterest slip past her lips.

"Forgive me, sensei, I merely spoke my thoughts aloud" Yuichiro answered politely as she looked at him with a bored expression on her face.

The teacher raised a brow. "Is that so? If I heard right, you claim to find this lesson boring. Why is that, Miss Hyakuya? Could it be that you already know what I'm going over? If I were to give you the test right now, would you be able to pass it?"

Yuichiro smirked at the older man's challenge. She knew he intended to intimidate her in front of the class by assuming she was ignorant of the material. And while Yuichiro had no problems listening and paying attention when she really needed to, the ravenette saw no reason to do either if she already knew what was being taught.

"Of course I can, _sensei,"_ Yuichiro answered coolly, using the same subtle mocking lilt she did with Guren when challenging him on anything they disagreed on. And while toying with her long ebony braid between her fingers with their long, newly manicured and polished fingernails in a display of smug confidence, one of the many things she had unwittingly picked up from her guardian and mentor. The only difference was that Yuichiro placed her own twist on her acquired attitude and mastered the art of masking her rudeness behind politeness, something even Guren couldn't do when dissing his own higher-ups.

It was times like these that Yuichiro was grateful she had at least _that_ over the man who raised her as well as Shinya's willingness to give her the dirt on him which she often threw back in Guren's face when he least expected it. Just as she was doing to her teacher now. ***1***

Although the girl sounded polite enough to her classmates, their teacher saw her answer as a subtle insult to his authority though he could not discipline Yuichiro since she _had_ apologized for her mumbling and accepted his challenge of being tested early in front of everyone.

Narrowing his eyes at Yuichiro, he said: "Very well. You can stay after class and take the test early then, _Miss Hyakuya."_

Ignoring the awkward stares of her classmates, Yuichiro put on her sweetest smile and sneered at him.

"With pleasure, _sir."_

Shinoa, who was sitting right behind Yuichiro, found herself struggling to stifle her laughter. Guren was right about one thing, there was never a dull moment that girl!

 **SSSSSS**

"You know, Shinoa, there's no need for you to stay here and watch me for sensei. I don't need to cheat to pass the test if that's what you're thinking…" Yuichiro said wryly to her friend who sat across the desk from her as she filled out the answers to the fifty question multiple-choice test as ordered by their teacher after class was dismissed.

Shinoa feigned an expression of hurt. "Do you _really_ believe I think you need to cheat to pass when your grades have always been so impeccable, Miss Hyakuya?"

"You seem to know a lot of details about my life and academic performance. Are you really that interested in me, Shinoa?" Yuichiro asked the other girl in annoyance.

"Well, why wouldn't I be?" Shinoa asked innocently. "Guren and I go back a long way and I know he's not the type to take in just any orphan child. It's true I was ordered by him to watch you but I'm also genuinely curious to see what makes you tick."

"And what have you found so far, _Miss_ _Hiragi?"_ Yuichiro sneered as she quickly went over the answers on the test that she had filled out in just twenty minutes to make sure they were correct before turning them in.

"Let's see, I'm really impressed that you can match your guardian's physical and academic performance when he was your age without batting an eyelash. That's no small feat. Even so, it still won't be enough to get you into the Moon Demon Company. Being independent is great and all but when fighting the vamps, it's just as important to be able to work with others as a team. Which you seem to have difficulty doing."

"I do not want to depend on a man or anyone else to protect or save me when I'm in a fix. I have more pride than that, Shinoa."

"That's admirable, Yuu, but not what I meant. Believe it or not, there are times you actually _need_ to depend and put your trust in others as well because no matter how smart or strong you are, you're still only one person and there's only so much you can do alone. Think about it, would you be as good as you are now if Guren alone trained you in the fighting arts? The reason you have multiple skills is because his entire squad chipped in to train you as well."

Not wanting to answer that because she knew Shinoa was absolutely right, Yuichiro decided to change the subject.

"I'm finished now. Will you make yourself useful for once and turn this in to sensei ***2*** for me, Shinoa?" Yuichiro asked flatly as she handed the single sheet of paper over to her friend.

Shinoa whistled as she took a quick glance at the clock. "Wow, that was quick!" she exclaimed as she took the paper and looked it over. "Normally a test like this would take at least an hour to finish; I'm really impressed, Yuu!"

Yuichiro snorted. "There's nothing to be impressed about; I've known the answers to all these questions since I was twelve."

"Because you read a lot of books, yes?"

"Correct. Fighting isn't the only thing I know how to do."

"I've noticed," Shinoa teased. "Guren _did_ say you have a fascination with U.S history and culture as well as western things in general. I really do think you have a lot of potential, Yuichiro. All you have to do now is learn how to trust and work with others a bit more closely and you'd be perfect Moon Demon Company material."

Yuichiro sighed. "Whatever. Since my work here is done, I'll be going now. Please make sure you get that test to sensei in a timely manner."

Shinoa smiled innocently as she folded the sheet of paper in her hands. "Whatever you say, Yuichiro. But don't forget, you still have some new friends to make. I'm just here to make sure they aren't hooligans."

Yuichiro scowled. What was it with Guren and his obsession with her befriending hooligans?

"Let me guess, you're going to be following me every day everywhere until I make a new friend Guren approves of?"

"Correct. So kindly wait for me here while I turn this in for you," Shinoa answered cheerfully as she happily skipped outside the classroom door for a moment before briefly poking her head back in and giving Yuichiro a mischievous wink.

"And don't bother trying to ditch me; you know you can't shake me off _that_ easily, Miss Hyakuya."

Yuichiro, who had planned to leave as soon as she was sure her watchdog was gone, found herself groaning in disappointment and frustration, both at her guardian and a certain purple-haired brat who was now going to be clinging to her like a barnacle whether she liked it or not.

 **SSSSSS**

"Hey, Yuichiro, you're done with the test already? I thought it would take you at least an hour," a brunette girl with long auburn hair called out as soon as she saw Yuu and Shinoa walk outside their history classroom together.

Turning, the pair saw two of their classmates, twin sisters Riku and Risa Harada ***3*** standing in the hallway eyeing them with interest, especially Yuichiro since it was she who had to take the test early for dissing their teacher, but in a most subtle, impressive way.

The ravenette shook her head. "It would only take that long if I didn't already know the answers," she said simply.

"Really? Wow, that's really something; maybe you can give up some pointers!" Riku, the older twin, exclaimed.

Although they were identical twins, the Harada sisters wore their hair and make-up differently. Riku, who was a tomboy, liked to keep her hair short in a chin-length bob with minimal make-up while Risa, who was a bit more girly, preferred to wear her hair halfway down her back and used cosmetics more lavishly.

Yuichiro smiled politely. "As much as I'd love to help you two out, I don't think sensei will appreciate it. He's already angry enough with me as it is."

Riku frowned in disappointment. "Aww, you sure? It's not like we're asking you to help us for nothing. How about we buy you ice-cream or some other dessert in return?"

Yuichiro was silent for a moment as if she were considering the offer. While she wasn't unwilling to help others whenever she could by any means, the girl also worried that giving answers away would not do the Harada twins any favors; Yuu was sure they would remember the material better if they studied it themselves like she did.

"I appreciate the offer but I'm not hungry now. My guardian doesn't want me eating too many sweets anyway."

Riku was about to protest further when she felt her twin's hand on her shoulder. Risa, who was a tad more perceptive than her sister, sensed that Yuichiro was not comfortable with bribery and silently suggested that Riku respect that.

"It's all right, we understand," Risa said kindly. "Another time, perhaps. If you change your mind, you know where to find us, Yuichiro. Shinoa, you're also welcomed to join us anytime."

And without another word, Risa took her twin's hand and led her away.

After the Harada twins had left, Shinoa looked at Yuichiro with an expression of slight disappointment on her face. Annoyed, the ravenette scowled at her.

"What?" she demanded.

"I believe you just missed a golden opportunity there, Miss Hyakuya. The Harada twins are nice girls and I'm sure Guren would have liked them a lot better than the boys who've been cat-calling you these last few months," the purple-haired girl teased.

"I don't doubt that Riku and Risa are nice, Shinoa, but I won't be doing them any favors by just giving them the answers to the test. They still have another week before they have to take it and if they study and pay attention in class, they should be fine. If I tell them now, they'll likely forget everything I say anyway. And besides, as much as I love ice-cream, I need to be watching my weight."

Shinoa raised a brow. "Oh? You look pretty fit enough to me as it is, Yuu. Are you avoiding ice-cream because you plan to audition for any beauty or model contests anytime soon?"

Yuichiro turned away from her friend and sighed in slight frustration. "NO, Shinoa. Do I look like Victoria's Secret material to you? I'm a soldier, dammit!"

The other girl grinned wickedly before answering. "I'm not sure myself. But apparently, my favorite brother thinks so."

Yuichiro blushed furiously when she realized Shinoa knew of the brand name women's undergarments Shinya had been sending her as gifts in addition to the lotions, perfumes, and hair products. Like her adoptive brother, the purple-haired brat had an uncanny way of knowing everything.

Clenching her fists, the ravenette growled. "You know, it's _very_ impolite to go through other people's drawers, Shinoa."

As if she found Yuichiro's accusation cute rather than offensive, Shinoa laughed merrily. "Now, now, Yuu, we're both ladies here. And besides, I didn't have to do such a thing. After seeing all the other stuff Shinya has been sending you in your dorm, it wasn't far-fetched for me to figure he'd send you VS undergarments as well. We both know you have a fascination with western stuff."

Yuichiro was about to make an unladylike remark on how Shinoa should mind her own business when both girls heard a loud crash in the distance as if someone was being slammed against a locker.

Forgetting her annoyance at Shinoa, Yuichiro quickly turned her head in the direction of the alarming sound.

"What was that?"

Before the other girl could answer, Yuichiro found herself running in the direction of the sound. As soon as she turned the corner of the hallway to the locker area, she saw two boys who appeared to be seniors with one of them holding a younger boy with wavy brown hair by the lapels of his uniform jacket against a locker.

"Please stop!" the younger boy pleaded as he struggled in the hold of the older brunette boy who seemed to be the leader of the group.

"Stop?" the older boy mocked. "You make it sound like we're bullying you, Yoichi! I'm just asking you to loan me some lunch money. Can't you do at least that much for your friends?"

 _Friends?_ Yuu thought. From the look of things, those two were nothing of the sort.

Before the boy named Yoichi could reply, Yuichiro interrupted. "Excuse me, gentlemen, but is there a problem here?" she asked in a bell-clear voice to ensure the boys would hear her. ***4***

At the sound of the feminine voice, all three boys turned In Yuichiro's direction, including Yoichi. Instead of telling her to get lost, the boy holding Yoichi actually grinned before letting the younger boy go. As soon as he was released, Yoichi slid to the floor, trying to catch his breath before he turned and saw the two boys who were bullying him approach the girl who called out to them.

Having fearlessly stared a vampire lord in the face at close range in the past, the ravenette showed no signs of fear or intimidation at seeing two older boys surround her. If anything, she stared at them with perplexity.

"Wow, what a fine babe we have here, don't you think, Yuji?" the older boy whistled as he looked Yuichiro over like a piece of meat.

The leering expression on his face made Yuichiro's curl with disgust and she wanted nothing more than to slug the disgusting pig in his face but knew that assaulting a civilian would likely result in her suspension from the army being extended. Especially with her watchdog, Shinoa standing right behind her.

Incredulously, the two older boys completely ignored the purple-haired girl and even Yoichi was forgotten as they found a new object of interest in Yuichiro. Normally, Shinoa tastefully intervened when other boys got a bit too flirty Yuu but this time, she chose not to get involved to see how the other girl would handle the situation.

Gritting her teeth, the ravenette repeated her earlier question. "Like I said, is there a problem here, gentlemen?"

The boy with spiky brown hair laughed. "Oh, nothing. Just asking my friend Yoichi here to do me a favor and loan me some money for a little food, is all."

Yuichiro narrowed her eyes as she quickly shot a glance in the younger boy's direction. From the look of things, he appeared unhurt, at least for the moment. And while Yuu's definition of a "hooligan" was not nearly as broad as Guren's, she had to agree that this boy and his friend fit the word in every sense.

"Is that so?" she asked. "You certainly have an odd way of asking your friends for favors, _senpai._ ***5*** What if he's not interested?"

The older boy chuckled as he brought his face closer to hers. "So what's it to you, babe?"

"I want you to leave him alone," Yuichiro said sharply.

"And what do I get if I do? Oh, I know! How about you take the wimp's place and run some errands for me! We can go on a date afterward too!"

It took all Yuichiro's willpower not to punch the arrogant pig's face in. Not only would it get her suspension extended, he might also hurt the younger boy he was bullying earlier too.

"Do you promise to leave him alone if I do?" she asked simply as she tried her best to keep a lid on her temper. Although this was not something Yuichiro would normally do, she was willing to make an exception just this once to protect Yoichi. And Yamanaka was only asking for a date, not to get married.

"Oh, absolutely! Anything for a hot babe like you!"

"Tsk, fine!"

Although she couldn't see it, Yuichiro was sure Shinoa must be grinning from ear to ear.

 **SSSSSS**

"You know, you don't have to help me, Yoichi. Those guys did say they'll leave you alone if I run their errands in your place," Yuichiro said wryly as she carried a paper bag full of sodas and snacks in her arms through the school courtyard with Yoichi and Shinoa following close behind. While Shinoa was empty-handed as her only job for the moment was to observe, Yoichi also carried a paper bag filled with the goodies his so-called "friends" asked for.

"I'm sorry…" the younger boy apologized. "It's my fault you have to do this AND go on a date with Satoshi Yamanaka later as well."

Yuichiro sighed as she gave the younger boy a look of annoyance. "Why are you apologizing? It's not your fault. More importantly, why are you letting those good-for-nothing ne'er-do-wells bully you?"

Yoichi shook his head. "No, you misunderstand, they weren't bullying me," he insisted.

The ravenette gave him a blank stare. "Seriously, Yoichi? If slamming you against a locker and demanding that you hand over your lunch money isn't bullying, what is?"

"It's not what you think, Yuichiro, really! I wanted to be friends with Yamanaka-kun because I needed his help with something."

Yuichiro raised a brow. "And that is?"

Looking down shyly, Yoichi continued. "Well, I failed the Moon Demon Company entry exam but I still want to join most desperately so I sought out Yamanaka-kun because I was told he had recently been admitted. And I was hoping he could use his connections to let me re-take the entry exam."

As soon as she heard that, Yuichiro stared at the younger boy with skepticism. "And you believed him just like that? What proof do you have that he's actually a member of the Moon Demon Company? My guardian commands it and I highly doubt he would admit a pompous ass like Satoshi Yamanaka. And besides, why do you want to get into the Moon Demon Company so badly anyway?" ***6***

At Yuichiro's question, Yoichi frowned and the ravenette swore he looked like he wanted to cry. But the younger boy resisted the urge and answered quietly.

"It's because… I must avenge my sister."

Now THAT piqued Yuichiro's interest. "Avenge? You mean..?" Somehow, Yuu had a pretty good idea where this conversation was going.

Yoichi nodded. "Yes, my sister was killed by a vampire trying to protect me…" he confessed sadly.

As soon as she heard that, Yuichiro frowned. Hearing Yoichi's confession reminded her of how Mikaela had died trying to protect her from Ferid Bathory so she understood all too well where the younger boy was coming from.

"I was totally helpless. Not a day has gone by that I haven't berated myself for not doing anything to save her because I was paralyzed with fear" he continued.

Feeling sympathetic towards Yoichi, Yuichiro's expression softened as she released one of her arms from the bag she was holding and gently ruffled the younger boy's soft wavy brown hair in a gesture of comfort, as Guren had done to her whenever she was upset or unhappy.

The sudden contact and closeness made Yoichi blush and now that Yuichiro got a closer look at him, she had to admit that the younger boy was rather cute. And while his heart was in the right place, the ravenette feared that it wouldn't be enough for him to survive on the battlefield for he seemed so delicate and frail.

Gently touching her forehead to his, Yuichiro said: "Silly goose… there was nothing you could have done for your sister since you were so little then. If you tried anything, you would have been killed too, and I'm sure that's not what she would have wanted."

As she spoke, the irony of her own words was not lost on Yuichiro. For years, she used to torment herself over her helplessness to save Mikaela, Akane, and the others from Ferid even though Guren, Sayuri, and Shinya had told her that there was nothing she could have done against such a powerful vampire lord alone.

"But…" Yoichi began but Yuichiro cut him off.

"No buts!" she said sharply as she finally released him and backed off. "Forget the army. Your sister wouldn't have wanted you to throw your life away trying to avenge her death." Another ironic (and hypocritical) piece of advice from someone who was willing to risk everything to avenge her own murdered family but Yuichiro chose to ignore that for the moment and continued.

"And besides, the Demon Army, as well as Moon Company, are very harsh; if you're not strong enough, you won't last very long on the battlefield anyway. Take it from me, Yoichi: if you truly love your sister, then live a normal, full and happy life away from the horrors of war." ***7***

Although Shinoa knew full well that Yuichiro was in no position to be giving Yoichi such advice, she remained silent because she knew that the other girl was sincere in her efforts to comfort him and didn't want to ruin it. And to be honest, Shinoa herself had to agree that Yoichi might be a little too green for life on the battlefield anyway.

Yoichi looked about to protest when the trio heard a sudden loud explosion coming from the buildings behind them.

"What was that!?" Yuichiro cried as the shock caused her to drop the bag she was holding on to.

Before either Shinoa or Yoichi could say anything, they heard an announcement on the school's speaker system.

" **Emergency Warning! All students and personnel! A vampire has just broken out of the vivisection laboratory close to the school! Do not attempt to approach this creature! All students and personnel must leave the premises at once!"**

"What? A vampire here? That's impossible!" Shinoa exclaimed. Thinking quickly, she turned to Yuichiro and Yoichi. "You two, leave the school now; I will send for Guren and the Moon Demon Company at once!"

Yuichiro shook her head. "No! We can't wait for them, Shinoa. I've fought vampires before so leave it to me!"

And before Shinoa or Yoichi could do or say anything to stop her, Yuichiro turned and ran back towards the buildings where the explosion took place. Despite what her friends thought, she _did_ have a plan of sorts. On her way back, the ravenette found herself having to push her way past a crowd of students attempting to get away from the buildings as soon as possible. So focused was she on getting to the vampire before the Moon Demon Company that Yuichiro accidentally ran into one of her fellow guards from a few evenings back.

"Oww!" the boy cried as Yuichiro slammed into him. The girl was about to scream at him to get out of her way until she recognized her red-headed friend, Daisuke Niwa, who looked at Yuu with an expression of bewilderment on his face.

"Where are you going, Yuu? Didn't you hear the announcement? Everyone has to leave the school at once! Satoshi, Takeshi, and I are helping to evacuate the civilians and as a soldier of the Demon Army, you should be too!"

"Thanks, but I have a better idea, Daisuke. And that's to get rid of the vampire myself before the Moon Demon Company gets here!"

After announcing her intention, Yuichiro attempted to push her way past her red-headed friend but the boy grabbed her by the arm the way Satoshi did when he tried to stop her from fighting a Horseman of John alone.

"What? Are you nuts, Miss Hyakuya?! That creature isn't a mindless Horseman of John like the one you killed last week! It's an actual, intelligent vampire who'll suck you dry if it catches you!"

The ravenette glared at her friend before shaking his hand off. "Like I said before, Daisuke, don't underestimate me! I've faced two vampires before, both stronger than that lab rat, and lived to tell the tale so don't get in my way!"

Knowing that it was useless to argue with Yuichiro further, Daisuke sighed in frustration. "Fine! But don't come crying to me if that creature sucks you dry!"

And without another word, the red-headed boy returned to his task of evacuating the civilian students, leaving Yuichiro to resume her hunt without any further interruptions. After quickly questioning one of the other fleeing students, the ravenette learned that the vampire was currently hiding in the very classroom where she was ordered by her teacher to take her history test early.

But before she could engage in a confrontation with the creature, Yuichiro passed by her locker in the hallway and quickly unlocked and opened it to find the sword and semi-automatic pistol she had received from Guren and Shinya was she was thirteen. Unlike the civilian students, soldiers of the Demon Army were permitted to bring and keep weapons in their lockers in case something like this were to happen.

Like she had done the time she left the temporary Shinjuku base against Guren's orders to hunt the swashbuckler vampire three years ago, Yuichiro quickly checked her pistol to make sure it was loaded before sliding it back in the leather holster and securing it to her body over her school uniform. This time, she did not have a jacket for holding kunai but the ravenette still had her sword ( a real one this time) and pistol which she hoped will be enough against the new rogue vampire she was about to confront.

When Yuichiro was finally armed and ready, she quickly made her way to her history classroom and kicked the door open. Stepping inside, she saw what looked like a female common vampire with long pink hair dressed in an outfit resembling a strait jacket people sent to mental wards were required to wear drinking from one of her fellow classmates. Yuichiro gritted her teeth when she recognized the girl that was sprawled out on the teacher's desk being slowly drained of her blood as Risa Harada whom she had just spoken to only a few hours ago.

Aiming her pistol at the vampire, Yuichiro shouted to get her attention.

"Let Risa go, you filthy bloodsucker!" she commanded.

Upon seeing a young human girl armed with a sword and semi-automatic glaring at her, the vampire grinned. Unlike with her guard uniform, Yuichiro looked much more demure and meek in her school uniform with her long raven hair bound in a side-braid. Looking at her, the vampire assumed that Yuichiro was just another civilian who just happened to have some weapons on her and probably didn't know how to use them.

"Foolish girl! You think you can hurt me with such puny toys?" she snarled, not realizing that she had practically echoed the words another rogue vampire said to Yuichiro years ago. "How about I suck _your_ blood instead!"

Instead of replying, Yuichiro aimed her semi-automatic at the vampire and fired. ***8*** She knew that her tactic of destroying the UV guard wasn't going to work this time since this vampire wasn't wearing one and she was fighting it indoors instead of out in the open like with the swashbuckler vampire in Shinjuku. Out of the corner of her eye, the ravenette saw a familiar young man with spiky brown hair cowering beneath a desk in fear and recognized him as Satoshi Yamanaka.

Thinking quickly, Yuichiro turned to Yamanaka after firing enough rounds to force the vampire to dodge by moving away from Risa.

"Quick, Yamanaka! You get Risa out of here while I distract the bloodsucker!" she ordered.

But instead of moving to help the comatose girl who was currently lying on their teacher's desk with two still-bleeding puncture wounds on her neck, the older boy shook his head fiercely as he whimpered in fear.

Confused as well as frustrated that Yamanaka had made no attempt to move, Yuichiro screamed at him.

"What the hell are you waiting for, dumbass?! Get Risa out of here NOW! Aren't _you_ a soldier of the Moon Demon Company?!"

"N-no, I'm not! It was a lie! I just thought if I told people that, they would respect and fear me!" he confessed, his voice shaking with fear.

Yuichiro found herself glaring at the boy who blackmailed her into a date with him in exchange for leaving Yoichi alone.

 _Why am I not surprised!? Why!?_ She thought frantically.

"Fine! I don't need your help anyway! Since you can't do anything useful, just get your ass out of here before that damn vamp starts going after you!" the ravenette ordered. It was hard enough having to fight a vampire while trying to protect the comatose Risa Harada, but to try and do it while protecting a useless idiot like Yamanaka as well may be more than Yuichiro could handle. The best she could do was get him to leave and save himself at the very least.

The older boy didn't need to be told twice and found himself running out of the classroom as fast as his legs could carry him. And without realizing that he had just done something unmanly as leaving two girls to fend for themselves against a vampire, even if one of them _was_ a soldier of the Demon Army.

Using Yuichiro's brief spat with Yamanaka as a distraction, the rogue vampire quickly made her way back to Risa and attempted to drink from the comatose girl again to regain her strength.

"Get away from her!" Yuu screamed as she threw down her smoking firearm and withdrew her sword from its sheath. Although the pistol still had bullets, the ravenette knew she might accidentally hit Risa if she attempted to shoot the rogue vampire again so this time, she had no choice but to use her sword and take the creature head-on.

As Yuichiro charged towards the creature, she was shocked to see a young boy suddenly charge into the classroom and tackle the rogue vampire before she cold bite Risa again. Upon closer inspection, she recognized the boy as none other than Yoichi Saotome, who was but a sniveling mess before Satoshi Yamanaka in the hallway just hours earlier.

Not wanting to waste any time by asking questions, Yuichiro quickly took advantage of the distraction Yoichi provided and sliced the vampire's arm off before she could choke the younger boy. Yuichiro knew the creature would be able to re-attach any limbs she might lose in combat but that did not prevent her from feeling pain.

"Good job, Yoichi!" Yuu praised as she swatted the vampire's severed arm away with her sword. "Now get Miss Harada out of here ASAP! I'll take care of the rest!"

Yoichi wasted no time. "Yes, Yuu! Right away!" he cried as he quickly hoisted the comatose girl in his arms and ran out of the classroom, leaving only Yuichiro and the rogue vampire to confront each other.

As much as he hated having to leave Yuu to fend for herself, Yoichi had faith in her ability to fight as a swordmaiden of the Demon Army; he did not doubt Yuichiro simply because of her sex like her fellow guards did.

Once Yoichi and Risa were gone, the rogue vampire sneered at Yuu. "That was a very foolish thing you did, human! Do you really think you stand a chance against me alone?"

Yuichiro smirked as she took her sword in both her hands and assumed a fighting stance. "Don't underestimate me, bitch! I've taken down bigger fish than you!"

Enraged by Yuichiro's taunting, the vampire completely forgot about recovering her severed arm which had been knocked to a corner of the classroom, and charged at the ravenette, determined to make her pay for her insolent comment.

All the while not realizing that she had just taken the bait Yuichiro had cleverly laid out.

The ravenette grinned as she charged towards the creature with her sword drawn. This time, Yuichiro managed to slice off her left leg and foot, causing the vampire to scream with pain before she grabbed Yuu by the throat and sent them both flying out a nearby window, plummeting three stories to the courtyard below.

Thinking quickly, Yuichiro twisted her body so that she and the vampire fell through several tree branches to slow down their fall before she landed flat on her back with her attacker hovering before her, the creature's hand never leaving her throat, even with Yuu's sword impaled in her chest.

As she felt the vampire's hold on the throat tighten, Yuichiro started to feel faint when she realized her airway was being cut off yet the ravenette refused to give up and attempted to move them both out of the shade and into the sunlight where she knew the creature would be destroyed.

"Forget it, girl, I know what you're trying to do. It's useless. I'll just drink your blood instead so I can make a complete recovery before the Moon Demon Company gets here," the rogue vampire taunted as she bared her fangs and prepared to sink them into Yuichiro's throat after removing her hand.

But before she could even get close enough to bite Yuichiro, the girl saw the creature suddenly grimace in pain as the point of a sword with a dark blade protruded from her chest, causing dark blood to pour from her mouth.

"Hello there, were you talking about me?" A calm, masculine voice asked from behind her.

Now that the vampire had released her hold on Yuichiro's throat and she could breathe properly again, the girl looked over her assailant's shoulder and saw none other than Guren Ichinose himself, the owner of the dark-bladed sword that saved her life just now.

"Damn you!" the vampire cursed. "Why won't my wound heal!? Is it an enchanted weapon?"

Instead of answering the question they both knew the answer to, Guren snorted. "Quit whining, vampire. Just accept that you lost and everything's good."

And with a swipe of his dark sword, Guren banished the rogue vampire from the world in a flurry of embers.

After the creature was destroyed, Yuichiro brought her hand to her throat as if attempting to sooth the ache still left over from her assailant's violent assault. Instead of asking if she was alright, which they both knew she was, Guren smirked at his young ward.

"That was very brave of you, Yuichiro. Brave, but stupid. Did you really think you could kill a vampire with just an ordinary sword like a Horseman of John? Or were you just waiting for me to come and save your sorry ass as usual?"

The ravenette glared at her guardian. "I don't recall asking you to come to my rescue, _sir._ Even without an enchanted weapon, I could have still killed that bloodsucker by moving her out into the sunlight. Despite what you think, I _do_ know how to improvise."

Guren chuckled as he slid his sword back into its sheath. "I suppose you're right. I do have to admit that you did a great job; your intervention bought enough time for everyone to be safely evacuated. Congratulations for being useful, brat."

Yuichiro snorted and was about to make a sharp retort when she heard a familiar voice call out to her.

"Yuichiro! It's good to see you again! I'm so glad you're safe and doing well in school!"

Looking past her guardian, Yuichiro forgot her displeasure at Guren and smiled when she saw Sayuri as well as everyone else from Guren's squad present in the courtyard.

"Sayuri! Shigure! Everyone!" Yuu cried excitedly as she ran past Guren and took the older honey-colored haired woman in a joyful embrace. Mito and Shigure, who had also missed the younger girl a great deal, smiled as they each stroked her long raven tresses which had come loose from its braid when she fell from the building through the tree branches.

Goshi and Shinya, who were also present, smiled and patiently waited for their turn to hug Yuichiro as well.

"She's grown so much from when we first met her, don't you think, Goshi?" the white-haired man asked good-naturedly as he stood next to his friend.

Goshi nodded. "Aye…" he answered. "I've missed her a lot. Since Yuu left, I felt like a father who watched his daughter leave the nest to find her place in the world."

Shinya laughed and clapped the blond man on his shoulder. "Oh, come now, you're not nearly old enough to be Yuu's father. But I understand what you mean; I feel the same way sometimes. But you know that all baby birds have to leave the nest someday."

Goshi chuckled. "Yeah, I suppose you're right. Well, we better tell the girls not to keep her all to themselves. I wanna give Yuu a hug too."

Shinya agreed and was about to call out to Sayuri, Shigure, and Mito, who were surrounding the younger girl like children fawning over a puppy or kitten when they heard a boyish voice call out for Yuichiro as well.

"Yuu! Thank God you're safe!"

Turning, Yuichiro saw Yoichi running towards her with tears in his olive-green eyes and she excused herself from the three older women to give him a reassuring hug.

"There, there, everything's all right; I didn't get hurt too bad, Yoichi," she cooed as she stroked his soft brown hair.

Guren, who had witnessed the scene, found himself scowling as he turned to Shinoa who had just quietly walked up from behind him.

"Who's that kid?" he demanded.

Shinoa smiled mischievously as she shot a quick glance in Yuu's and Yoichi's direction. "Why, her friend, apparently. Or…"

Guren raised a brow. "Or..?"

"Or her lover..." the purple-haired girl teased as she watched and waited to see how her superior would react. As a person who endlessly searched for ways to amuse herself, Shinoa found that she was not to be disappointed at Guren's reaction to her implication.

Turning to Yuichiro and Yoichi, who were still locked in a tight embrace, Guren cleared this throat and moved to part them.

"Ok, ok, that's enough PDA ***9*** , you brats. I don't want you two getting snot all over each other."

Yoichi looked at Guren in confusion for a moment before he obeyed and released Yuichiro, not wanting to incite the displeasure of the man he recognized as the commander of the Moon Demon Company as well as his friend's guardian.

Upon witnessing the scene, Sayuri, Shigure, and Mito found themselves slightly bewildered. Shinya and Goshi also noticed as well and cast each other questioning glances though neither of them said a thing lest they make an already awkward situation even more awkward. But the question on all their minds was the same:

What's gotten into Guren?

 **Footnotes:**

 **1\. Unlike male!Yuu, who is bluntly and openly rude towards people who displease him, fem!Yuu is more subtle and discreet when she chooses to diss others, including Guren.**

 **2.** " **Sensei" is the proper way to address a teacher in Japan.**

 **3\. Like Satoshi, Daisuke, and Takeshi, Riku and Risa Harada are also major characters in DN Angel, another one of my favorite animes. They will be making cameo appearances in my AU OnS fic as well.**

 **4\. Male!Yuu is very straight-forward and openly confrontational. Fem!Yuu can still be polite when confronting others until they become more troublesome or when she loses her temper.**

 **5\. In Japanese society, the Japanese word "senpai," means a senior or superior in any academic or corporate organization in society.**

 **6\. Male!Yuu tends to be a bit more gullible and believes what he hears with less question than fem!Yuu who is a bit more skeptical when Yoichi tells her that Satoshi Yamanaka was accepted into the Moon Demon Company.**

 **7\. Male!Yuu was harsh when trying to deter Yoichi from joining the Demon Army and Moon Company, even if it was out of concern for his safety and well-being. Fem!Yuu is able to voice her opinion to Yoichi more gently to protect his feelings.**

 **8\. In canon, male!Yuu uses Ferid's vintage revolver to fight the pink-haired rogue vampire while fem!Yuu uses Shinya's semi-automatic pistol, the same one she used to fight the swashbuckling vampire in Shinjuku.**

 **9.** " **PDA" means public display of affection.**


	4. A Desire for Power

**Disclaimer: I do not own Owari no Seraph (Seraph of the End). I write this for your enjoyment only. This story is an alternate version of Shibuya/Shinjuku arc with differences from the original; please refer to the footnotes at the end. Once again, I would like to thank my beta reader, ResidentialPsycho for her help in making this fic possible. Enjoy and please review!**

 **Chapter 4: A Desire for Power**

 **October 20, 2020**

" _Yuu-chan…"_

 _That voice? Mika?_

 _Looking around, Yuichiro found herself once more at the gates of Sanguinem where she last saw her family alive. But something was different. While Yuichiro was now a young teenage girl, Mikaela, Akane and the other Hyakuya orphans remained the children they were when their lives were cruelly cut short by a sadistic vampire lord._

 _However, that vampire lord was nowhere in sight and Yuichiro saw only the smiling faces of her previous family._

" _Mika… Akane… everyone! Am I dreaming?" Yuu gasped._

 _Mikaela smiled though Yuichiro could see a hint of sadness in his eyes as he did so._

" _Yes… I'm afraid so, Yuu-chan. But I'm happy… happy you've finally found new friends, a new family to take care of you. So be as good to them as you were to us."_

" _We can now rest easy knowing you're in good hands, Yuu. Someone as kind as you could never live for revenge alone. Find a new reason to live, something worthwhile…" Akane said gently._

 _Yuichiro shook her head, the braid hanging down its side a mirror of her late orphanage sister's, and protested._

" _But..!"_

" _We must go now, Yuu-chan…" Mika said sadly though the smile never left his face. "Take care of your new family. Goodbye… and be happy…"_

 _And with that, Mika, Akane, and the others turned around and walked away from their now grown orphanage sister._

" _Wait, Mika, Akane, everyone! Please don't go! Don't leave me alone again!" Yuichiro pleaded as she desperately called out to her lost family. But it was as if they didn't hear her and kept walking away from Yuichiro until they vanished into the darkness…_

 **SSSSSS**

"MIKA!" Yuichiro cried as she clutched at the empty air with her hands.

"Yuu, wake up, it's just a dream!" a boy's voice called out to her.

Opening her eyes, the ravenette saw the familiar face of Yoichi Satome, the boy she had befriended just the day before, staring down at her with concern in his olive-green eyes as he gently placed his hands on her shoulders in an attempt to calm her.

"W..where am I?" Yuu asked tiredly as she sat up and looked around.

At first, the girl thought she was in her dorm at JIDA Headquarters but one quick glance at her surroundings reminded Yuichiro that she was in a hospital room. After her violent confrontation with the pink-haired rogue vampire, Guren ordered that she be admitted to a hospital to ensure that she didn't sustain any serious injuries from her three-story fall.

Although Yuichiro herself insisted that she was just fine, the girl knew she couldn't disobey a direct order from her guardian and superior officer if she wanted to join the Moon Demon Company.

"Oh, so Yuu's finally awake now? Good job, Yoichi, thanks for watching her for me."

Looking over the younger boy's shoulder after he sat back down on his chair near her bedside, Yuichiro saw her purple-haired watchdog and scowled. ***1***

"You know, I don't need a baby-sitter, Shinoa…" she growled.

The other girl laughed when Yoichi looked at Yuu and then back at her with a confused look.

"Looks like Miss Hyakuya is back to her usual grumpy self. I swear, you grow more like your guardian every day, Yuu…"

Yuichiro snorted. "Hey, don't insult me by comparing me to that smart-ass baka, Shinoa. I told Guren I felt just fine but noo… he just _had_ to order me to check into this hospital. And I'm betting you followed me here to make sure I actually did it instead of going back to my dorm."

Shinoa sighed as she placed a hand on her chest and feigned hurt, the gesture reminding Yuichiro of Shinya and how ridiculously alike he and Shinoa were despite not being blood-related.

"Seriously, Yuichiro, why must you _always_ be so negative? Your guardian was merely concerned for your well-being and frankly, so am I. I thought it was a miracle you weren't seriously hurt after a fall like that but I agree with Guren that it's better not to take any chances. And besides, now that you and Yoichi are officially members of the Moon Demon Company, we need to be sure both of you are in peak condition for your training."

At first, Yuichiro was confused until she remembered that she had finally fulfilled Guren's condition for her to take the entry exam into the Moon Demon Company. Or at least she thought so.

"So Guren approves of Yoichi?" she asked hopefully.

Shinoa nodded as she reached into her leather satchel to pull out two sets of brand new black and green uniforms.

"He said something along the lines of 'the brat's acceptable' which I take as a yes," the purple-haired girl answered as she tossed the blushing Yoichi his new uniform before giving Yuichiro hers.

As soon as Yoichi received his new uniform, which was sealed in a plastic see-through package, he got up from his seat and made a polite bow to the two girls.

"I'll go try these on to make sure they fit if that's ok with you."

Shinoa gave the brunette boy a nod of approval. "By all means, Yoichi. Let me know if it fits. If not, I'll go get you another one, ok?"

"Yes, Shinoa. And thank you," Yoichi said before leaving the room to try on his new uniform.

After Yoichi left, Shinoa turned back to Yuichiro. "So how are you feeling, Yuu? If you're well enough to stand, I recommend you try on your new uniform as well."

After looking at Shinoa for a moment in silence, the ravenette pulled out her own uniform from its package and her eyes widened when she noticed that it was a bit different from her guard uniform.

Shinoa noticed her friend's look of alarm and asked: "Is there a problem, Yuu?"

Bushing furiously, Yuichiro looked her new uniform over one more time to make sure she wasn't imagining that the skirt was noticeably shorter than the one on her guard and school uniform.

"W-what? Where's the rest of it?!" she demanded.

Knowing how much Yuichiro hated baring more of her legs than necessary since she was such a tomboy, Shinoa laughed.

"This is it!" she answered cheerfully. "Congratulations on being accepted into the Moon Demon Company, Yuu. Unfortunately, that uniform goes with the job." ***2***

"I refuse!"

"Come on, Yuu, don't be difficult…"

"I refuse to wear this… _frivolous_ thing!"

"Oh, I'm afraid you have no choice, Miss Hyakuya. Not if you want to be in the Moon Demon Company, that is. Guren's orders!"

At the mention of her guardian's name, Yuichiro scowled. She knew that many women in the JIDA, as well as the Moon Demon Company wore pants instead of skirts, Mito being one of them, but that Guren was ordering her to wear a short skirt because he knew she would hate it.

"That's bull, Shinoa!" Yuu protested. "I've seen Mito, as well as several other women in the MDC wear pants or longer skirts than _this!"_

Shinoa grinned as she shrugged her shoulders. "True. But unlike Ms. Jujo, you're a new MDC recruit and this is what you're gonna have to wear. Beggars can't be choosers!"

Knowing that it would be useless to argue the matter with Shinoa any further, Yuichiro gritted her teeth as she tried to imagine herself strangling Guren for his latest absurd order for her to wear a tiny-skirt uniform.

 _I swear, one of these days, I'm gonna kill that bastard!_

 **SSSSSS**

"So how does it fit?" Shinoa asked Yuichiro as she watched the other girl tug uncomfortably at the short, pleated skirt of her new uniform. Both Yuu and Shinoa had left the hospital room where the ravenette had woken from her troubled sleep for the rooftop because Yuichiro was not comfortable enough to let anyone see her in her MDC uniform yet.

"Seriously, who designed this uniform? And why is the skirt so damned short?" Yuichiro complained as she turned this way and that. Unlike the skirt of her guard uniform which hung almost to the knees, the skirt Yuu was wearing now barely covered her rear properly or so she thought.

Shinoa covered her mouth to stifle a giggle. She knew the new MDC women's uniform skirt was actually Goshi's perverted idea and that Mito was one of the few women who absolutely refused to wear them, but decided not to tell Yuichiro that, only that Guren was ordering her to wear it.

And probably just to rile her up too.

"Oh, I don't know…" the purple-haired girl answered innocently. "But why are you so against wearing a uniform with a shorter skirt anyway, Yuu? When fighting the vamps, it'll allow you more freedom of movement. Pants can be a bit restricting if you ask me; sometimes I wonder how the guys and most girls can fight well in them."

Yuichiro glared at her. "Seriously, Shinoa, how am I supposed to fight or concentrate on my revenge if I'm constantly worried about perverts looking up my skirt?"

"Well, look on the bright side, Yuu: with those pretty legs and luscious bum of yours, I'm sure you can distract the vamps long enough to take them down before they even know what hit them. The boys, at least," Shinoa joked.

"Are you trying to be funny, Shinoa? Because I'm _not_ laughing!" Yuichiro snapped, angry that the other girl wasn't taking her seriously.

Before Shinoa could reply, both girls heard the sound of a door being opened and turned to see Riku Harada stepping onto the hospital roof with a small gift bag looped around her arm. Since she was dressed in her school uniform, it was safe to assume Riku took a short break off of school to come here, most likely to pay her recovering twin sister a visit. ***3***

"Umm, excuse me, but am I interrupting anything?" she asked politely.

Hoping that the brunette girl had not heard Shinoa's joke about her legs and bum, Yuichiro shook her head, grateful for something to take her mind off her too-short uniform skirt.

"Not at all, Riku," she answered. "What can I do for you?"

Riku cleared her throat as she offered Yuichiro the gift bag. "Actually, my sister and I wanted to give you this. I came here to check up on Risa and figured I'd thank you in her place since she's not well enough to leave her room yet. But I had a feeling that you'd be up and about if you're strong enough to take on that vampire back at the school by yourself. One of the nurses told me I'd find you here."

Yuichiro frowned at the mention of the girl she rescued. The last time she saw Risa Harada, Yoichi had taken her away just before she engaged the rogue vampire in combat.

"Speaking of Risa, how is she? I'm sorry I wasn't able to get to her sooner, I had to kind of fight my way through a crowd before I could get back to the classroom. I was lucky one of the other students was willing to tell me where the vampire was hiding."

Riku shook her head fiercely. "Oh, there's nothing for you to be sorry about!" she insisted.

"If anything, we're both grateful for what you did. Risa is fine so don't worry. She's just a bit weak from blood loss but that's nothing a transfusion won't fix. When I spoke to her, she told me she wanted to give you something in return. It's not much, but we hope you'll find it acceptable."

Curious, Yuichiro took a peek into the gift bag Riku had given her and almost found herself drooling when she saw a small box of See's Candies chocolate in it. The last time she had such a treat was when Satoshi, Daisuke, and Takeshi offered some to her as an apology for the skirt-pulling prank they played on her in seventh grade.

"Do you like it?" Riku asked hopefully.

"Oh, I love it!" Yuichiro answered happily, the gift making her forget how uncomfortable she was with her new uniform skirt.

"Just don't eat too many of them. I'd hate to have to explain to Guren why you may require a larger uniform if you do…" Shinoa teased.

If not for Riku's presence, Yuichiro might have told Shinoa that she couldn't care less what Guren thought of her figure. Instead, she focused her attention on the Harada twins.

"Thank you for the candies, Riku, I really appreciate them. But you didn't have to, really. Eliminating vampires is my job anyway. Well, going to be, that is. So what will you and your sister do now?"

"About that…"

"Yes?"

Riku smiled as she folded her hands behind her back a bit shyly. "Risa and I talked about it when she woke up from her coma. She said that she wanted to join the Demon Army and maybe even the Moon Demon Company if they would have her. I do too."

"Oh, really?" Yuichiro asked, her curiosity piqued. Even Shinoa was interested. "Why's that, Riku?"

"Well, to be honest, you've inspired us. After what you did for Risa, we've decided that we also wanted to get stronger so that we can protect others from the vampires too. Especially Risa. She never wants to burden anyone else with the trouble of having to rescue her again, let alone yourself."

"I see… but are you sure you want to do that?" Shinoa asked. "The Demon Army has high expectation of its soldiers, the Moon Company even more so as I'm sure Miss Hyakuya can tell you. For example, _working as a team…"_

Yuichiro rolled her eyes at the other girl's implication. Like Guren, Shinoa wasn't going to let the ravenette live her difficulty at teamwork down anytime soon but held her tongue since it wouldn't look good for her to get into an argument with Shinoa in front of Riku.

"Of course, we do!" Riku insisted.

"Well, if it's what you both really want, the Demon Army is currently taking applications. I'm sure you and Risa can apply at the school's career center. _After_ your sister recovers, that is."

Riku laughed. "Of course, Shinoa. Well, I'd better get going. I used my lunch break at school to visit Risa so I better head on back before class resumes. Thank you for the advice, Shinoa. I hope my sister and I will see you again. You too, Yuichiro. Who knows, if Risa and I are accepted into the Demon Army, we may find ourselves working together."

"Oh, I'd love that!" Shinoa exclaimed as she gave Yuu a nudge with her elbow. "I'm sure Yuichiro would too!"

For once, the ravenette actually agreed with her friend. Though she wasn't quite used to teamwork yet, Yuichiro wouldn't be averse to fighting alongside the Harada twins should they be accepted into the Demon Army and Moon Company.

"Really? Do you mean that?" Riku asked hopefully. "We'd be honored to fight alongside both of you if possible."

Yuichiro nodded. "Yes, I would like that too…" she admitted. "Go ahead and apply. I wish you both the best of luck, Riku."

Riku made a polite bow before turning to leave. "Thank you, we'll do our best. Enjoy the candies and have a wonderful day, Yuichiro. You too, Shinoa."

"You're welcome," Shinoa said kindly. "Good luck."

After Riku left, Yuichiro's smile faded and was replaced with an expression of worry which didn't go unnoticed by Shinoa.

"Yuu? What's wrong?" the purple-haired girl asked, concern apparent in her mahogany eyes.

"I'm glad I was able to help Risa and while I'm not opposed to working with the Harada sisters should they be accepted into the army, I'd feel better if they'd just stay inside the walls and live normal lives. I don't want them to endanger themselves by becoming soldiers just because they feel like they owe it to me."

Shinoa gently placed a hand on Yuichiro's shoulder. "I'm pretty sure that's not what Riku meant when she said that she and Risa wanted to join the army. While they _are_ indebted to you for saving Risa, Riku did say they wanted to become soldiers because you _inspired_ them. They know you were only doing your job and weren't expecting anything in return."

"Still, I…"

Before Yuichiro could even complete her sentence, both she and Shinoa heard a familiar boyish voice crying out for help.

"Help! Yuu, Shinoa!"

Turning, the two girls saw a frightened Yoichi breaking through the same door Riku had left through just a few minutes earlier with two older boys on his heels. Judging from their school uniforms, it looked like the boys ditched school to chase Yoichi all the way to the hospital.

Yuichiro blinked. "Yoichi? Are these guys bothering you again?" she asked when she recognized at least one of the boys chasing Yoichi as the one who were bullying him the other day.

Placing herself between Yoichi and Yamanaka, Yuichiro spread her arms to block the older boy's access to her friend and gave him her most intimidating stare.

"What do you want now, Yamanaka? Didn't you promise to leave Yoichi alone if I ran some errands for you? As for our date, I'm afraid I'll have to decline; I don't date guys who run away from vampires."

The older boy's face turned red with embarrassment. His unmanly action of leaving Yuu and Risa at the mercy of a rogue vampire wasn't something he needed or wanted to be reminded of. And while he _did_ find Yuichiro attractive, a date with her wasn't exactly on his mind at the moment.

"I'm sorry about that, really! But that's not what I wanted to ask!" Yamanaka insisted before turning to Yoichi. "I've come to beg for Yoichi's help since I heard he's been accepted into the Moon Demon Company."

Yuichiro raised a brow. "Help?" she asked as she briefly gave Yoichi a questioning look before turning back to Yamanaka. "After what you did to Yoichi yesterday, you have no right to ask him for any favors. And besides, what need do you have that could be so dire for you to throw away your pride and beg Yoichi for help?"

Yamanaka cleared his throat. "About that… well…"

"Yes?"

"Our friend, Yuji, disappeared, you see. Earlier today, he went to the forbidden chamber and never came back."

Confused, Yuichiro turned to Shinoa. "Forbidden Chamber? What are they talking about, Shinoa?"

The purple-haired girl smiled and clapped a fist to her open palm as realization dawned on her.

"Ahh… you guys trespassed onto a level-one restricted military area!"

Knowing that Shinoa was right on the mark, Yamanaka scratched his head nervously.

"Well, yes…"

"Let me guess, you guys did it to test your courage, correct? Unfortunately, those who enter the forbidden area are subject to _severe_ punishment."

"W..what do you mean?"

"What I mean is that I'm sure your friend, Yuji, must have been arrested by now. He faces execution if convicted."

Upon seeing the panicked expression on Yamanaka's face, Yuichiro pulled Shinoa aside and whispered into her ear.

"Hey, don't you think that's going a bit too far, Shinoa? Surely the Demon Army wouldn't execute Yuji for something like _that._ Imprisonment, maybe, but execution?"

Without waiting for Shinoa to answer, Yuichiro turned to Yamanaka with sympathy apparent in her eyes when she realized he was willing to bend his stiff neck and humble himself for the sake of his friend.

"Very well, we'll help you find Yuji. But if the Demon Army really _does_ decide to execute your friend, I'm afraid there won't be much we can do."

Grateful as that at least _Yuichiro_ was willing to help, Yamanaka released a sigh of relief.

"Thanks, Miss Hyakuya, you don't know how much this means to us. We should get back to the school as soon as possible."

"Ok. Well, let's go, Shinoa, Yoichi."

Instead of protesting that Yuu had made such a decision without their approval, Shinoa and Yoichi gave in.

"It looks like you're making more friends by the minute, Miss Hyakuya," the purple-haired girl teased.

Yuichiro rolled her eyes. "Never mind that, Shinoa. In case you haven't noticed, we've got a brain-dead moron to rescue."

Turning to Yoichi, she asked. "You coming, Yoi?" ***4***

Yoichi twiddled his thumbs nervously. While he wasn't exactly eager to help the same boys who were harassing him just the other day, it wasn't in his nature to just leave someone in trouble either.

"Y..yes, Yuu! Coming!" the younger boy answered as he proceeded to follow Yuichiro, Shinoa, and the others off the hospital grounds and back to the school.

 **SSSSSS**

"So, Shinoa, what exactly is in this forbidden chamber you've been talking about?" Yuichiro asked her friend as she, Shinoa, and Yoichi made their way through the school with Yamanaka and his other friend following close behind. Her concern for Yuji made Yuu completely forget that she was wearing an MDC uniform with a skirt a bit too short for her liking and completely oblivious to the stares she was receiving from other students, particularly boys, walking by.

Shinoa stifled a laugh. "What, you mean you don't know? Why, it's one of the seven wonders of the school."

"Seven wonders?"

"Like the self-playing piano and the moving anatomical model, for example. Except that the forbidden area is someplace no one should ever go to without authorization."

"And why not?" Yoichi asked curiously.

Shinoa cleared her throat. "The truth is, that place has been chosen as a training ground for new recruits of the Moon Demon Company from this school. Only people who've had proper training can go there without being possessed by a demon."

"Not that I'm scared or anything but if what you said is true, then why are you letting us go down there without trying to stop us?" Yuu asked suspiciously.

"Like I said, your training as new recruits of the Moon Demon Company has already officially begun. You would have had to come down here sooner or later. Yoichi too," Shinoa answered simply.

And without another world, the purple-haired girl led the way to a hidden door in one of the school buildings that Yuichiro had never noticed before, one that led down a dark, narrow stairway into a room that looked strikingly similar to a temple.

"What's this? There's actually a temple under the school?" Yuichiro asked in puzzled wonder.

"Well, I've heard that long ago, below Shibuya, there used to be a huge, hollow space where people can take refuge against city floods. Later on, the Moon Demon Company chose this place as a training ground," Yoichi offered, though he was unsure if his answer was accurate.

As if reading the younger boy's mind, Shinoa nodded before her face broke out in a mischievous grin.

"That's where you're wrong, Yoichi. The _whole school_ , in fact, is a training ground for new Moon Demon Company recruits as well as a huge lab for human experimentation. This room just happens to be where the army seals demons and keep them from running amok."

"Oh, really, Shinoa? This is the first time I'm hearing of it," Yuichiro said with a bit of skepticism in her voice.

The purple-haired girl shrugged her shoulders. "You'll see, Yuu. Only talented people selected by the Moon Demon Company or those lured by the call of a demon can go beyond this door."

Yamanaka, who had been listening the entire time in silence, protested.

"But Yuji wasn't chosen for the Moon Demon Company. So does that mean..?"

Shinoa nodded. "Yes. Your friend must have been lured in here by a demon. But all hope is not lost; if we can get to him before his heart is devoured, he may yet be saved."

The older boy gulped nervously. "And if not?"

"If not, he may become a mindless, witless demon that preys on humans, something far worse than a vampire."

As soon as he heard that, Yamanaka started to panic again. "Oh no! Please don't let that happen!"

"Like I said before, we'll do everything we can to help him," Yuichiro said as she squeezed his shoulder, trying her best to reassure the older boy. "You and your friend wait here, I'll try and rescue Yuji."

Instead of waiting for Yamanaka's answer or Shinoa's approval, Yuichiro jumped down the remaining stairs and made her way towards the center of the room where she found the possessed Yuji standing on a large star-designed pentagram. The older boy had a distorted look on his face as he gripped what appeared to be an axe with a long wooden handle, something Yuichiro suspect to be a cursed gear weapon.

 _That axe! If I can get it, surely I'll be able to avenge Mika and the others!_ The girl thought excitedly.

"Yuu, wait, don't go near him!" Shinoa warned from behind her. "Let the Moon Demon Company take care of it! I've already sent for them!"

"No way!" Yuichiro scoffed. "We can't wait for them! What do you think would have happened to Risa Harada if I waited last time instead of rescuing her myself?"

Before Shinoa could protest further, Yuichiro rushed towards the center of the room with the intention of taking the cursed weapon from Yuji and making it her own. And trying to rescue the older boy while she was at it. ***5***

All while completely bare-handed.

Just when Shinoa thought her friend couldn't get any more reckless, Yuichiro quickly did a flip over Yuji when he swung his axe at her, grabbing it by the long wooden handle and forcibly wrenching it from the other boy's grip before landing on the ground behind him.

 _Now that was too easy!_ Yuu thought triumphantly as she felt a smug sense of victory before turning to see if she had managed to free Yuji from his demonic possession.

But instead of seeing an unpossessed Yuji as she had expected, Yuichiro found herself facing Mikaela, Akane, and her other deceased orphanage brothers and sisters in their run-down home in Sanguinem. Her previous family was sitting at the dinner table and looking as though they had been waiting for her to come and join them.

 _W..what's going on here?_ Yuu thought frantically as she reached towards the nape of her neck with one hand and found that her side braid was gone, her hair once again short and spiky. Instead of being clad in her new MDC uniform, the girl found that she was clad in the two-piece livestock uniform she wore while pretending to be a boy.

"What's wrong, Yuu-chan?" Mika asked gently. "You look as though you've seen a ghost."

"Why don't you come have dinner with us as always?" Akane asked. "Don't let all the food I've made go to waste."

"Mika? Akane? You're alive?" Yuichiro asked in confusion.

Mikeala grinned. "Of course not, we're all dead. You watched Ferid murder us all and ran away to save yourself, or don't you remember?" ***6***

Yuichiro found herself shuddering at the blond boy's chilling words. "N-no… I didn't..!" she protested while knowing full well that she _did_ abandon Mikaela to his fate when she escaped from Sanguinem all those years ago.

"Yuu-chan, we both know you did, don't try to deny it," Mika cooed as he got up from the table and took her in a brotherly embrace with their siblings watching. "But I'll forgive you. If you avenge our deaths…"

"Avenge..?"

"That's what you intended all along, wasn't it, Yuu-chan? But determination alone isn't enough. You'll need power. And I can lend you mine if you just open your heart to me…" Mika said in a soothing tone as he tightened his hold on Yuichiro slightly.

Yuichiro said nothing but relaxed in her blond brother's embrace for a moment in order for him to let down his guard before using all of her strength to push him away.

"Just who or what the hell are you, you bastard?!" she demanded.

"W..what do you mean, Yuu-chan? It's me, Mika…" he answered innocently as he placed a hand on his chest.

"That's just it! You are _not_ the Mika I know! He was clever and hopelessly kind to everyone! Even to someone who was supposed to be his enemy! And he would never, _ever_ guilt-trip me or ask me to live for revenge! It was a mistake to use his face to try and deceive me and I'll make you pay for it!" Yuichiro screamed as she grabbed "Mikaela" by the throat.

As soon as Yuu attacked what she suspected to be a demon in Mika's form, their surroundings became distorted and the demon began to lose its form, becoming a frightening black shadow.

"Dammit… you're stronger than I thought…" the creature growled before his illusion finally collapsed around him and Yuichiro.

"Yuu, can you hear me? Wake up!"

The ravenette slowly opened her eyes to find herself sprawled on the cold concrete floor with a concerned Shinoa and Yoichi looking down at her.

"W...what happened?" Yuichiro asked tiredly as she sat up and placed a hand on her forehead.

"I don't believe it…you came to by yourself…" Shinoa breathed as she looked at her friend in wide-eyed wonder.

"What do you mean, Shinoa?" Yoichi asked as he scratched his head in confusion.

"Well… the demon was showing Yuu an illusion from her memories. Frankly, I'm surprised that she was able to see through it and shake the creature off. And without a demon weapon of her own, I might add."

"Oh?" Yuichiro began as she sat up and noticed the axe by her side. "Since I beat the demon, does that axe belong to me now?"

"No, of course not, Yuu. It's not that simple," Shinoa explained gently. "There's a procedure to follow when forming a contract with a demon. Not to mention that it will be your guardian who decides what weapon is right for you. And I can tell that you really don't like that axe anyway since you are a swordmaiden, are you not?"

"Hmm… true," the other girl agreed as she took another glance at the axe. "You're right, Shinoa, I do prefer a sword as my demon weapon. Still, I did take that bastard down by myself without any kind of weapon, did I? Even Guren would have to admit that's something."

"Yes, that's true…" Shinoa admitted. "On top of that, you _did_ save your classmate as well. I'll definitely be reporting it to Guren."

"Speaking of which, where is Yuji and Yamanaka for that matter?" Yuichiro asked curiously when she looked around and found the other boys nowhere in sight.

"They're gone," Shinoa answered. "After you saved Yuji, I told Yamanaka and his other friend to take him to the nurse's office. Good job, Yuu. It looks like you saved the day once again."

"Great! So if it's not too much to ask, I'd like to get my own demon weapon as soon as possible!" Yuichiro insisted, her big green eyes sparking with excitement.

Not wanting to ruin the other girl's good mood, Shinoa nodded in agreement. Although she rarely yielded to Yuichiro's desires that quickly or easily for her own sake, Shinoa _had_ to admit that Yuu truly earned her chance to test for her own demon weapon.

"Sure, Yuu. I'll arrange it with the lieutenant colonel first thing tomorrow" Shinoa assured the other girl, who was too excited to notice the nervous expression on her face.

 _Not that I have the authority to make that decision… Guren definitely won't be happy about this but oh well, what can I do?_

 **SSSSSS**

A tall figure quietly made his way through the hallways of one of Sanguinem's many chapels, his footsteps barely auditable as he walked with an almost feminine grace toward the object of his interest.

Ferid Bathory, who had indeed survived Yuichiro's gunshot wound to his head, whistled cheerfully, his elegant coat-tails swishing behind him as he called out for his once favorite livestock pet.

"Mika… Mika…" he called in a sing-song tone as he approached another figure clad in a white cloak and a vampire guard uniform who was kneeling before an elegantly decorated altar as if in prayer.

When he received no answer, the silver-haired vampire lord spoke, hoping his words would pique the young man's interest.

"I knew I would find you here…" he cooed. "Have you heard? It looks like we've finally found what you've been searching for all these years, your precious angel. What was his name again?"

Instead of answering Ferid, Mikaela tightened his grip on his sword and quickly withdrew the blade from its sheath. With a speed that would have been impossible for an ordinary human, the blond swiftly stood up, turned around, and brought it to Ferid's neck, just above his carotid artery.

Instead of being alarmed or even offended that Mika would dare to threaten him with a weapon, Ferid merely chuckled as he brought a hand to the blade at this throat and gently pushed it slightly away with two fingers.

"Now, now, Mika. I've come to bring you good news. Your brother, Yuichiro, is indeed alive. ***7*** Isn't that what you wanted to hear? Unfortunately, he's also being manipulated by those wretched humans. Don't you want to save him, Mikaela Hyakuya?"

Although grateful for the information, the blond still wasn't eager to trust his former benefactor so easily. He was no longer the naive little boy who had unwittingly led his innocent family to their deaths. But even so, Mikaela was willing to at least _listen_ to any bit of information he could get if it would lead him to Yuichiro.

"Go on, _Lord Ferid…"_ he sneered, fangs flashing as the hood of his cloak fell to his shoulders, revealing wavy golden-blond hair that framed a hauntingly beautiful pale face with dark blue eyes.

The older vampire threw up his arms as if in mock surrender. "But of course, Mika! You'd know I'd do _anything_ for you. Though it would be a bit easier for me to talk without a blade at my throat if you know what I mean…"

Mikaela scowled but gave in and lowered his sword. Sliding it back in its sheath before giving the other vampire a cold look, he said none-too-politely.

"Alright then, _My Lord._ Start talking…"

 **Footnotes:**

 **1\. In the LNs, all the characters are described as having normal, real-life colors but I've decided to stick with Shinoa's purple hair from the anime.**

 **2\. In canon, there are many variants of the female JIDA/MDC uniform. While the male uniform looks roughly the same for all the men, the women can wear uniforms with pants, shorts, long and short skirts.**

 **3\. The girl male!Yuu saves from the pink-haired vampire in canon is a random, unnamed female character but for my AU, I've decided to make it Risa Harada. Riku, her twin, is the one who gives fem!Yuu a candy box instead of the love letter the unnamed rescued girl gives male!Yuu.**

 **4\. In my AU, I thought it would be cute to have Yuu, as well as other characters, call Yoichi "Yoi" as a pet name. The scene also takes place at the hospital where fem!Yuu wakes up instead of the school in the canon story.**

 **5\. In canon, Shinoa shows male!Yuu her cursed gear and demon after the unnamed girl gives him a love letter but I've decided have her show fem!Yuu at a later date.**

 **6\. Male!Yuu does not remember Ferid's name until Mika reminds him later in the canon story but fem!Yuu has a better memory and can recall Ferid much easier.**

 **7\. At this point, Ferid does not know fem!Yuu is a girl yet and thus refers to her as a "he" and calls her Mika's brother.**


	5. A Brother's Love

**Disclaimer: I do not own Owari no Seraph (Seraph of the End). I write this for your enjoyment only. This story is an alternate version of the Shibuya/Shinjuku arc with differences from the original; please refer to the footnotes at the end. On another note, while I will be changing as much as I can to keep things interesting and suspenseful, some parts of the canon timeline I must keep the same. I intend for my fic to be a story that "could have" happened in canon, not a totally different AU. Once again, I would like to thank my beta reader, ResidentialPsycho, for her help in making this fic possible.**

 **Chapter 5: A Brother's Love**

 **October 21, 2020**

Yuichiro placed a hand over her mouth as she tried to stifle a yawn while walking through the school hallways to get to her new MDC training course. After the disturbing illusion she had experienced the day before with a demon who tried to tempt her with power using Mikaela's form so that it could possess her in place of Yuji, Yuichiro had a bit of difficulty sleeping that night. Part of her feared that she would experience the illusion again in her dreams. Even though she knew it was unlikely since she _did_ manage to break free of the demon's mental hold on her through a "Miracle of God" as Yoichi called it.

Another part of Yuu worried that Guren might not let her take the entry exam for her own demon weapon when he learned of her reckless act even though she _did_ manage to save her idiotic classmate while unarmed as well.

 _Oh well, what's done is done; I'll just have to deal with the consequences as I always have with anything else I've done to tick Guren off…_ the ravenette thought wryly.

So lost was she in her thoughts that Yuichiro failed to notice another student walking in her direction and found herself bumping into him as well as accidentally stepping on his foot.

Once she felt the not-so-light impact, Yuichiro gasped and found herself confronting a tall boy with strawberry-pink hair and glasses who seemed rather displeased with her clumsiness.

"Hey, why don't you watch where the hell you're going, you stupid punk!" the boy yelled angrily as he drew back his fist and aimed for her jaw before attempting to take a swing at Yuichiro.

When the ravenette looked up and made eye contact with her would-be assailant, his eyes widened and he gasped when he realized she was a girl and tried to hold himself back but didn't have anywhere near the control that Guren did.

Fortunately, he didn't have to for Yuichiro swiftly brought her arm up and used her hand to guide his fist away from her face and into the air beside her, one of the many defense moves she learned from Mito to guard herself against someone who attacks without thinking.

As soon as she made him miss, the boy tripped and would have fallen on his face if Yuichiro had not caught him. Even after he had tried to attack her, she still showed concern for him, apologizing for their earlier collision.

"I'm sorry, but are you all right?" she asked politely. "I wasn't watching where I was going because my thoughts were elsewhere."

The pink-haired boy blushed furiously in Yuichiro's hold, ashamed that he had nearly struck a girl for something that was totally accidental.

"I… I'm sorry! Please excuse me!" he cried in embarrassment as he pried himself out of Yuichiro's arms and ran in the opposite direction while trying to ignore the stares the other students were giving him.

As soon as the boy was out of sight, Yuichiro blinked. _What a strange fellow… I wonder who he was?"_ she thought. _Oh well, I probably won't be seeing him again_. _Anyway, I better head on to class before I'm late…_

 **SSSSSS**

After barely avoiding what could have been a painful misunderstanding with a mysterious pink-haired boy, Yuichiro tucked the unexpected encounter in the back of her mind as she made her way to the classroom for the new MDC recruits where she knew Guren would be expecting her. When she finally arrived, the ravenette found Yoichi standing in front of the closed door as if he were waiting for her. And he wasn't alone, Shinoa was with him.

As soon as they caught sight of Yuichiro, Shinoa sighed. "You're late, Yuu. By about five minutes. And from the look of things, we're going to be too."

Yuichiro gave her friend a look of annoyance. "I didn't ask you to stand out here and wait for me, you know. You too, Yoichi. There's no reason for you to make yourself late because of me."

The younger boy blushed. "It's ok, Yuu. I wanted to. I don't mind being scolded by the lieutenant colonel for waiting for you. It's the least I can do after what you've done for me."

Yuichiro sighed. She swore the brunette boy was too kind for his own good. While Yuu herself was used to be chewed out by her guardian for any mishaps she made in the past, Yoichi looked like the kind who would crumble when spoken to harshly. For as long as she's known him, Guren had always been a strict teacher who demanded perfection and punctuality of his subordinates.

"Fine…" Yuichiro said. "Let's just get inside before we're tardier than we already are."

Shinoa folded her hands behind her back but said nothing as she turned to Yoichi and made a gesture for him to do as their friend said.

Since Yuichiro was the latest of the three, she had to do the honors and open the door to let Shinoa and Yoichi in. As she predicted, the ravenette saw her guardian sitting at the teacher's desk in a laid back position, resting his legs and feet on the smooth wooden surface with his eyes closed as if he were taking a nap.

Upon seeing Yuu, Shinoa, and Yoichi make their entrance, the other students' heads turned in their direction with more than a few giving them a look of slight contempt for keeping up the rest of the class with their tardiness. But the ravenette pretended not to notice and waited for Shinoa to speak.

The purple-haired girl cleared her throat to catch Guren's attention. "Sir, Yuichiro Hyakuya and Yoichi Satome have arrived," she said in the most formal tone she could muster since they were being watched by an entire classroom full of MDC candidates, including Satoshi, Daisuke, and Takeshi.

At the sound of Shinoa's voice, Guren slowly opened his eyes and turned his gaze towards his ward and her new friend.

"I was wondering if you were going to show up, Yuichiro. I don't think I need to tell you you're five minutes late along with that puppy follower of yours. You got a good excuse, girl?"

Thinking it was best not to tell Guren she was late because of her collision with a pink-haired boy in the hallway, Yuichiro shook her head. She knew that if she told her guardian the truth, he would probably assume she was making it up anyway.

"Not really…" she answered coolly, her reply raising many a brow in the classroom since anyone else in her place might have apologized profusely and respectively for keeping a man in Guren's position waiting.

"I have to admit, Yuu's got guts talking to the lieutenant colonel like that," Daisuke chuckled, making sure to keep his voice low enough not to be heard by the man in question. Like Yuichiro herself, he, Satoshi, and Takeshi eventually became discontent with merely guarding the walls and spent the last few months studying hard to be considered for the Moon Demon Company.

Satoshi smirked from his seat next to the red-headed boy. "You're right, Dai. She's always been a feisty one. I think he tolerates it because she's his ward, so I wouldn't get it into my head to take an attitude like hers with him."

"I'd only do that if I wanted to never be considered for the MDC for sure…" Takeshi muttered, still somewhat bitter that he had the misfortune of being chosen to report Yuichiro's act of insubordination to Guren when she went against orders and took on a Horseman of John alone.

Satoshi and Daisuke said nothing but nodded their agreement as they watched to see how Guren would react to Yuichiro's answer to why she was late to class.

Instead of being offended, the older man merely smirked as if he were expecting such an answer from the girl who was his ward. Shinoa, who had known Guren for years, could tell that her superior obviously had a great deal of affection for Yuichiro for he would not have let her careless answer slide if it came from anyone else in the classroom.

Especially if an apology did not accompany it as well.

"Very well. We'll have a little talk on your punctuality issues later, Yuu. For now, why don't you introduce yourself to the class before taking a seat over there" Guren said as he pointed to an empty desk near the back of the classroom. "As for Yoichi, he can sit in the front."

Puzzled as to why her guardian would order her to sit that far from her new friend, Yuichiro gave him a blank stare but obeyed nonetheless and moved until she was standing right in front of Guren's desk and made a polite bow to her classmates.

"My name is Yuichiro Hyakuya and like all of you, I am a Moon Demon Company candidate seeking to test for my own demon weapon. I look forward to working with all of you."

Although she sounded polite enough, the other students picked up the tone in her voice that suggested Yuu meant the opposite of what she said about wanting to work with them. Guren and Shinoa noticed as well but said nothing since they didn't want to cause a scene and waste any more time than they already had because of her tardiness.

Without another word, Yuichiro made her way to the back of the classroom where she found another student sitting in the same, laid back position she saw Guren in moments before. He also had an open book over his face and his feet was on top of the desk in front of him near the chair where she was supposed to be sitting.

Clearing her throat to catch his attention, Yuu said: "Excuse me, but would you be so kind as to move your feet away from that chair where I'm supposed to sit?"

For a moment, she received no answer and suspected the boy really was asleep and was about to call out to him again when he slowly brought his hand to the book on his face.

"What is it? Can't you see I'm trying to sleep?" he demanded in a cranky tone before pulling the book off to reveal his face, causing Yuichiro to gasp when she recognized him as the pink-haired boy who nearly struck her not too long ago.

"You! You're that guy from earlier!" she exclaimed.

Yuichiro's voice made the boy snap out of his lazy posture fast as he too, recognized her and found his face growing red.

"Y…yeah, sure!" he sputtered as he quickly moved his feet away from Yuichiro's desired seat before sitting upright on his own desk in the proper position, surprising the other students who were rather fearful of him. His reaction also did not go unnoticed by Guren who turned to Shinoa to demand an explanation.

"What's up with those two?"

The purple-haired girl's face broke into a mischievous grin when she saw yet another chance to stir up the pot again. Unknown to Yuichiro, Shinoa had secretly witnessed the scene between her and the boy who was blushing furiously before her now and knew the reason behind their reaction to each other.

"Why, they just met before class and had a little misunderstanding…" she answered innocently. "But as you can see, nothing serious…"

Guren didn't know why, but he didn't like the sound of that and called out to his ward from the front of the classroom while ignoring the stares the other students were giving him.

"Forget it, Yuu. Just sit at that other desk in the corner over there" he pointed out.

Shinoa had to stifle her laughter when she realized that Guren was ordering Yuichiro to sit at the desk furthest from the pink-haired boy named Shiho Kimizuki. She also noticed his expression was very similar to the one he wore when he parted Yuu and Yoichi after seeing the younger boy hug her too tightly for his comfort.

After making sure Yuichiro sat where he told her to, Guren took his place in front of the classroom to begin the lecture. As the commander of the Moon Demon Company, his job was to screen potential candidates and weed out those he knew would not make the cut for the demon weapon aptitude test was no joke; those who failed would not get a chance to retake it since failure resulted in demon possession and death. Knowing this, the lieutenant colonel could not, in good conscience, allow anyone he did not believe to be truly ready to take the test.

"Well, then, let's get this lesson started, shall we?" Guren announced. "As you all know, I am Lieutenant Colonel Guren Ichinose, commander of the Moon Demon Company. The fact that you're all here means that your teachers see you as potential candidates for the most elite unit in the Japanese Imperial Demon Army. I will be straightforward in that few of you will actually make the cut and the decision of who does rest entirely in my hands."

As he said this, Guren looked to Yuichiro who knew very well that he made no exceptions in weeding out those he deemed too weak of heart and mind to handle a demon weapon. Not like she had any problem with it. The ravenette knew her guardian was actually doing anyone he turned away a favor by _not_ letting them into the MDC if they didn't have what it took.

Even if that included herself.

 **SSSSSS**

Guren set down the papers he was reading when he heard a soft knock on his door which caused his brow to furrow in annoyance since he was not in the mood for visitors now.

Before he could tell the unwanted visitor to leave, the door slowly opened to reveal an equally unhappy Shiho Kimizuki on the other side. Though the tried not to show it, the lieutenant colonel could tell that the younger boy wasn't exactly thrilled to see him either and that he was only here because he needed something.

"You know, it's not very courteous to enter someone's room or office without permission first," Guren said dryly.

The boy sighed. "I know, sir. And I'm sorry, but it's important. There's something I needed to ask you about the upcoming demon aptitude test."

Although he normally did not tolerate people barging into his office to inquire about such matters without his consent, Guren was curious as to what Kimizuki wanted so badly that he would dare to question him.

"Yes? What about it?"

Kimizuki cleared his throat. "I need to know if I will be allowed to try for the high-level Black Demon Series. I strongly believe I am a most qualified candidate since I've got top marks in all subjects."

"I know you do, Kimizuki. But in case you haven't noticed, you aren't the only one. Everyone you saw in the MDC training course today has the same potential, including Yuichiro Hyakuya and Yoichi Satome. Yuichiro, especially, also has top marks just as you do. I know because I trained her myself since she was twelve."

The pink-haired boy gave Guren a look of bewilderment at the mention of the girl who ran into him just minutes before class.

"So is it true what the other students say? That she's your ward?"

"It is. Even so, I still wouldn't have considered her for the demon aptitude test if I didn't think she had what it took."

Kimizuki gulped when he realized that he had almost assaulted someone who was under the protection and tutelage of the man who would decide whether or not he would be allowed to join the Moon Demon Company. And if Yuichiro had already told Guren what happened between them in the hallway, Kimizuki could kiss any chance he had of getting into the MDC good-bye.

Hoping that Yuu had made no mention of the incident to her guardian, Kimizuki tried to change the subject. "But that Yoichi kid looks so frail!" he protested. "And come to think of it, so does Yuichiro."

Guren smirked. "That's where you're wrong, Kimizuki. Without Yoichi's assistance, it would have been much more difficult for Yuichiro to save Risa Harada from the vampire who was running rampant at the school. I'm sure you must have heard about that incident; it was only a few days ago."

The pink-haired boy nodded. "I did. Though I was absent that day, one of the other students told me all about it. And I don't mean to put her down, sir, but what if Yuichiro just got lucky that day?"

Instead of being offended, Guren simply smiled as if he were expecting the pink-haired boy to say such a thing.

"I wouldn't underestimate Miss Hyakuya if I were you, Kimizuki. She may look and act demure at school to avoid drawing attention to herself but the truth is, my girl's quite the warrior. Not only is Yuichiro an adept swordmaiden, she's also an impressive sniper and martial artist who's already faced two vampires stronger than the one at school and lived to tell the tale as well. She's even managed to shake off a demon's attempt to possess her just yesterday."

Kimizuki raised a brow when he heard Guren proudly refer to Yuu as "his girl" and wondered if the two shared _that_ kind of relationship though he did not dare to ask since he knew he was already pushing it by coming to the lieutenant colonel's office uninvited. ***1***

"I see… I can respect that, sir. But even so, I must obtain a demon weapon and join the Moon Demon Company at any cost."

Guren raised a brow. "You sound very adamant on that, Kimizuki. Might I ask why you crave power so much?"

The pink-haired boy stared at him incredulously. "Do you even need to ask, sir? I'm sure you already know all about me since you have access to my records."

"I do. You need money to cure your little sister who contracted the virus of the apocalypse even though she's still a child, money which you don't have. So instead, you know that if you were accepted into the MDC, you would have access to state-of-the-art medicines and treatments which have not been released to the public. And not that I don't sympathize with your situation, but I can tell that you are not yet ready to take the test. I know you are strong but physical strength alone won't be enough. You must be strong in mind as well for demon weapons can take advantage of your desires to possess you."

"What do you mean by that?" Kimizuki asked, not quite understanding what Guren meant.

The lieutenant colonel said nothing but stood up and slowly withdrew his sword from the sheath at his belt, exposing a part of the dark blade within. To Kimizuki's amazement (and fear), he saw a dark mist and felt an unseen energy emanate from the blade that sent chills down his spine. Guren noticed the boy's reaction as well which proved his point.

"Demons thrive on anger and impatience," he explained patiently. "As you are now, you would be devoured by your desires and become a demon yourself real quick. And should that happen, I would have no choice but to dispose of you. Do you understand, Kimizuki?"

The pink-haired boy gulped and nodded. Guren knew he wouldn't be able to deter Kimizuki from his impatience to obtain a demon weapon before he was ready so he used a visual demonstration which was far more effective.

Not wanting to be near the source of that frightening mist and energy any longer, the pink-haired boy turned and ran out of the office as fast as his legs could carry him.

 **SSSSSS**

 **October 22, 2020**

"All right, everyone, may I have your attention, please!" Sayuri called out to the large group of MDC candidates who were gathered at the large empty school auditorium, chatting amongst themselves.

As soon as they heard their instructor's voice, everyone fell silent and turned their heads in her direction. Once she was sure she had everyone's attention, Sayuri continued.

"Thank you, everyone! My name is Sayuri Hanayori and I will be accessing your abilities today to determine who will be permitted to take the demon aptitude test a week from now. A good score is required for admittance to the exam so please do your best, everyone!"

Although she sounded friendly and reassuring enough, Yoichi found himself feeling nervous at Sayuri's announcement and tugged on Yuu's sleeve.

"Do you think we'll make it?" he asked.

In answer, Yuichiro patted the younger boy's arm reassuringly. "Don't worry, I'll do my best to help you," she said gently. Though they had known each other for only a few days, Yuu had grown rather fond of Yoichi and felt protective of him.

"For today's practice, you'll all be working in pairs. This exercise is meant to help you be in perfect sync with your partner so please work together to defeat the training dummy. The faster you defeat it, the higher your score will be. So everyone, please choose a partner and that's all there is to it!" Sayuri explained cheerfully.

"Hmm… sounds simple enough. Shall we get going, Yoi?" Yuichiro asked as she took the younger boy's hand in her own. Knowing how accommodating Yoichi was, at least to her, Yuu found him to be the perfect partner since he was most likely to do what she asked of him without objection.

Unfortunately, Sayuri (and Shinoa) had other plans.

As someone who was already a full-fledged member of the MDC with her own demon cursed gear, Shinoa was not required to participate in the training exercise, only assist Sayuri in testing the students. The purple-haired girl knew exactly what Yuichiro was thinking when she chose Yoichi as a partner and set out to foil her plans with Sayuri's help. They both knew Yuichiro needed to learn teamwork with someone who had just as much difficulty with it as herself so before the training exercise could begin, Shinoa tastefully came between Yuu and Yoichi and dragged the younger boy away by the arm.

"Hey, what are you doing, Shinoa!?" he cried in confusion as she paired him up with Takeshi Saehara instead.

"You two will be working together. I have someone else in mind for Miss Hyakuya," Shinoa said with a wink.

The brunette boy was confused but did not object. As much as he would have enjoyed working with someone like Yuichiro, who could tell him what to do so that he wouldn't have to think too hard, Yoichi also knew that he had to obey Shinoa as much as he would Sayuri or Guren himself.

After leaving Yoichi with Takeshi, Shinoa went around the room to help the other students pair up, especially ones who seemed to have trouble choosing a partner. Naturally, she didn't have to help Satoshi Hiwatari or Daisuke Niwa, who chose to pair off with each other since they were already so close.

One by one, everyone in the large auditorium took a partner until only Yuichiro and Kimizuki were left. And like with Yuichiro, Shinoa did not allow the pink-haired boy to take any other partner, always coming between him and anyone he chose. Because of the misunderstanding between him and Yuichiro, Shinoa knew that Kimizuki was deliberately trying to avoid pairing up with her which was exactly why she wanted them to work together and already discussed it with Sayuri the night before. Like Shinoa, she too, knew how stubborn Yuu could be and agreed with the purple-haired girl's plan.

As Shinoa started to shove the protesting Kimizuki towards Yuichiro (who stood dumbfounded right where she was), Sayuri started demonstrating her amazing handcuffing skills by throwing them at each pair of students without moving from her spot on the podium. As soon as Kimizuki was close enough, he found himself cuffed to Yuichiro before he even knew what hit him and from the look on the ravenette's face, she was just as surprised.

Although she had nothing against Kimizuki personally, Yuichiro knew he was unlikely to be as accommodating as Yoichi and found herself glaring at Shinoa who stuck her tongue at them playfully before leaving to join Sayuri at the podium. After giving the students a brief moment to introduce themselves to each other, Sayuri raised her hand and gave the signal for the training exercise to begin.

"All right, everyone! Now that you are bound by those handcuffs, you must cooperate in order to defeat the dummies! In addition, the handcuffs will not come off until you do. So do your best, everyone!"

 _Oh crap…_ Yuichiro thought as she saw the doors open and the huge training dummies starting to flood the room, causing the students to scatter everywhere with their partners. If both of her hands were free, she could have easily picked off the dummies one by one but since one of her wrists were bound with the misfortune of it being her dominant hand as well, Yuichiro found herself at a severe disadvantage.

"Let's get this over with!" she heard her partner exclaim. "It's not that fast, we should be able to beat it easily and get a high score!"

"I agree!" she answered back and charged at the dummy to their right, thinking it was the one Kimizuki was talking about.

And as soon as the ravenette made her move, she felt herself being yanked back harshly when her partner chose to go after the dummy to their left.

Yuichiro yelped with pain when Kimizuki slammed into her hard. The cuffs were hurting her wrist as well but she tried to ignore it and glared at her partner.

"Kimizuki-kun, I believe we should be going _this_ way!" she said, pointing to the dummy to their right.

The pink-haired boy returned her glare. "Well, why didn't you say so in the first place!? I assumed we were going for _that_ one over there!" he said, pointing to the one on the left.

From across the room, Daisuke chuckled as he gently elbowed his partner, Satoshi. "It looks like those two aren't getting off to a very good start, Sato. As cute as she is, I'm glad I didn't get paired off with Yuichiro; she could be such a handful at times."

Taking a quick glance at the bickering pair, even Satoshi had to grin. "True. And I heard Kimizuki is no charmer either. Anyway, we better focus on the dummies if we want to test for our own demon weapons."

"Right," Daisuke agreed. "I hope Takeshi will be ok with that Yoichi kid."

"I'm sure he will. Takeshi's always been an easygoing guy who gets along with others well. Anyway, let's take this dummy out and get our points!"

"Right on!"

As Yuu and Kimizuki stood there glaring at each other, they heard the sound of a dummy approaching them and looking ready to strike. Thinking quickly, the ravenette decided to swallow her pride and accommodate the older boy if it meant passing the test. When the dummy's arm came crashing down, Yuichiro pushed Kimizuki in the direction he originally intended to go instead of fighting him like she did the first time. Her approach was successful and the pair managed to avoid getting hit and losing points. ***2***

Bewildered by Yuichiro's sudden change in strategy which kept them from getting hit, Kimizuki was about to ask why she did that when he heard Sayuri calling out for him after ordering that the dummies be stopped for a few moments. Looking ahead, they saw that Shigure had arrived to give her a message that was intended for Kimizuki. Judging from the grave look on the older woman's face, Yuichiro suspected it to be something serious.

"Shiho Kimizuki, please report to the intensive care unit at once, your sister, Mirai, is in critical condition!"

For a moment, Yuichiro saw a look of panic and fear on the pink-haired boy's face before he forced himself to calm down and ask that Sayuri resume the exercise.

"I'll be right there, just let me take care of this dummy first!" he answered.

Startled, Yuichiro grabbed Kimizuki by the arm and forced him to face her. "What? Didn't you hear what Ms. Hanayori just said? You should go to your sister right away!"

Blushing furiously at the close contact, the pink-haired boy yanked his arm free of Yuu's grip.

"Shut up! It's not your business! If I don't pass this test, I won't be able to save my sister anyway!" he snarled.

Frustrated at Kimizuki's stubbornness, the ravenette drew back her free arm and slapped him hard across the face. And being the soldier she was, Yuichiro's slap was no light tap, even if it didn't come from her sword arm. The unexpected blow made Kimizuki reel and he could feel a small stream of blood coming down the left corner of his mouth.

"Idiot! And if she dies now, what would be the point in you getting into the MDC?! You can always take this test again but this could be your last chance to see your sister if she doesn't make it!" the girl shouted back.

Although furious that Yuichiro would dare to strike him for something that clearly wasn't her business, her words chilled Kimizuki to the bone when he realized that she was right.

Not giving him a chance to answer, Yuichiro turned to Sayuri and Shigure. "I'll go with him. Where's the intensive care unit?"

The ravenette's announcement and question made everyone's heads turn her way, especially Sayuri, Shigure, and Shinoa since they all knew how much Yuichiro wanted to take the demon aptitude test and acquire her own cursed gear as soon as possible.

Touched by the girl's concern for her partner whom she barely knew, Sayuri nodded. "Very well, Yuichiro. You and Kimizuki can re-take the training exercise later. You're both excused for now."

Turning to Shinoa, Sayuri said: "Show them where the intensive care unit is. I'll take the cuffs off them when they return."

Shinoa nodded. She knew it would only take a second for Sayuri to remove the cuffs from Yuichiro and Kimizuki but that it was better to let them stay bound for a little longer so they can become closer and get along better.

"Yes, Sayuri. Right away."

 **SSSSSS**

"So how is she?" Kimizuki asked, his brow furrowing in concern and worry as he kneeled at his younger sister's bedside with Yuichiro right next to him since they were still cuffed together.

Looking down at the younger girl, Yuu could not help thinking how much Mirai reminded her of Aiko, her youngest orphanage sister, who was often sickly and required more of her and Akane's attention than any of the others. From the girl's appearance, Yuichiro could tell that she was obviously younger than thirteen when the virus struck all those years ago and how she contracted it anyway was a mystery to the physicians who were tending to her now.

"She seems to be doing ok now," one of the nurses answered. "I'll be honest in that for a moment, I thought we might have lost her when she took a turn for the worst but the doctor somehow managed to stabilize her condition."

"I see… isn't there anything more you can do for her?" Kimizuki asked hopefully as he gently stroked his sleeping sister's hair that was just as pink as his own.

The nursed sighed. Taking pity on the pink-haired boy, he placed a gentle hand on his shoulder and said: "We're doing everything we can, I promise you. But there's only so much we can do to treat the virus in a civilian hospital."

Kimizuki clenched his hands. "I know. That's why I'm doing everything I can to get into the MDC so my sister can have access to military medical facilities. It's the only option left to me since I don't have money."

Yuichiro, who had remained silent the entire time, had to suppress a gasp. _So he was doing all this for his sister. I had no idea…_ she thought.

After their visiting time was up, Kimizuki and Yuichiro left the hospital. Spent from the hectic events of the day, Yuichiro requested that they take a break on a nearby bench before heading back to have Sayuri remove their handcuffs.

As soon as they were seated comfortably on the bench, Kimizuki spoke.

"I'm sorry…" he said quietly, startling Yuichiro.

Blinking, she asked: "For what?"

Kimizuki managed a small smile, the first she's seen since they met. "For everything, not just the argument we had about my sister. I probably wouldn't have even been considered for the Moon Demon Company if you had told your guardian that I almost struck you when we first met. Why didn't you?"

Yuichiro stared at the pink-haired boy for a moment as if she wasn't sure how to answer. To be honest, the thought never occurred to her to tell Guren of the incident since she didn't think it was important enough to bother him with.

"It was just a misunderstanding," she said. "And besides, you never actually laid a finger on me."

"Because you knew how to defend yourself. What if you didn't?"

"I probably would have had a swollen jaw but nothing serious enough to kill me. At worst, you might have knocked me out cold."

"And lose any chance I had of getting into the MDC once Lieutenant Colonel Ichinose found out," Kimizuki surmised dryly.

"I won't lie in that he wouldn't have been thrilled if you had managed to hurt me. But if I was afraid of getting hurt, I wouldn't have joined the army in the first place. Just because I'm female doesn't mean I'm a delicate flower."

Kimizuki managed a small laugh as he brought his hand to the cheek where Yuichiro had slapped him earlier. The swelling had gone down and he had stopped bleeding but the mental effect of the blow was still there.

"Oh, I have no delusions of you being a delicate flower, Miss Hyakuya. Your guardian said as much when I paid him a visit at his office yesterday."

"Oh, you spoke with Guren? Why? To see if I ratted you out to him?"

Kimizuki shook his head. "No, it was something else. Not that I wasn't worried if you did tell him but I'm grateful you were nice enough not to. I'm also grateful you told me to see my sister so thank you…"

Yuichiro smiled as she squeezed Kimizuki's hand reassuringly. "You're welcome. I know it's not my business, but my own experiences had taught me that you should always treasure the people who are close to you, especially if they're in Mirai's position because you never know if they'll be there tomorrow."

Kimizuki nodded. "I suppose you're right, Yuu."

Although he did not say so, the ravenette could tell that Kimizuki felt bad for being such a jerk to her earlier when she was only showing concern for him and his sister.

"Look, Kimizuki-kun. I know we got off the wrong foot but since we're mostly likely going to be working together in the future, I'd like to start over if that's ok with you."

The pink-haired boy looked at her for a moment before offering a genuine smile. "I'd like that, Miss Hyakuya. Thank you."

Yuichiro sighed with relief. "I'm glad to hear that. Now if you don't mind, I'd like to get back and have these handcuffs removed because I kind of have to use the restroom and I'd prefer to do so in private."

Blushing again, Kimizuki nodded. "Yes, of course. Let's get going. I hope Ms. Hanayori is still in the auditorium waiting for us."

Yuichiro felt her stomach drop. She had lost track of how much time they had spent checking up on Mirai and hoped that Sayuri had not gone home for the day yet.

"Oh, she had better be!" the ravenette exclaimed with a hint of worry in her voice as she jumped up from her seat on the bench and began to run back to the auditorium, dragging her pink-haired partner every step of the way.

 **SSSSSS**

"So what are the results, Shinoa?" Guren asked his subordinate as she stood before the desk in his office while he remained sitting with his hands folded under his chin.

The purple-haired girl cleared her throat. "Well, after Yuichiro and Kimizuki returned from the hospital, Sayuri and I stayed behind after school to test them again with the training dummies. This time, they passed with flying colors," she answered. "I don't know what they talked about while they were away but whatever it was, it brought them closer together and they're getting along well now."

"Good, I'm glad. Both Yuu and Kimizuki are the most difficult when it comes to working as a team. But I'm grateful they were able to pull it off thanks to yours and Sayuri's careful planning."

"You're welcome, sir, it was my pleasure! And I do mean that from the bottom of my heart," Shinoa said with a glint of mischief in her mahogany eyes as she placed a hand on her chest before continuing.

"Anyway, from what Sayuri and I have observed, there are six candidates in that entire group that are most qualified for the Black Demon Series."

"Six?"

"Yes. Yuichiro Hyakuya, Shiho Kimizuki, and Yoichi Satome are all very determined and disciplined. I'm sure they'll be able to resist the temptation of the demons. So can Satoshi Hiwatari, Daisuke Niwa, and Takeshi Saehara. Satoshi, especially, has the qualifications of a squad leader with his cool head and genius level intellect." ***3***

"I see. To keep things from getting complicated, I'll test Yuu, Kimizuki, and Yoichi myself next week. As for Satoshi, Daisuke, and Takeshi, I'll ask Shinya to test them for me at a later date. Though they all have potential, I'm most interested in Yuichiro and Kimizuki; if we can get at least _those_ two in the MDC, our strength will increase dramatically. Not that we can't use the others as well. We'll need all the help we can get."

"You mean…?"

"Yes… the vamps haven't made their move yet but it will only be a matter of time. And when that happens, they will provide us with the perfect opportunity."

"For what exactly, sir?"

"To take down the Hiragi family."

Instead of being alarmed that her superior was plotting to overthrow the Hiragis, her own blood relatives, Shinoa grinned as if she were expecting (and wanting) him to say that all along.

"My thoughts exactly, Lieutenant Colonel."

 **Footnotes:**

 **1\. The expression "my girl" can refer to a daughter or a girlfriend depending on the context in which it is used. Since Guren and fem!Yuu are only eight years apart in age, Kimizuki assumes they may be lovers since Guren is not nearly old enough to be her father.**

 **2\. In the canon story, male!Yuu is too proud and stubborn to yield to others, even when it is in his own interest to do so. In my AU, fem!Yuu is smart enough to know when it's best to swallow her pride.**

 **3\. I plan on creating an additional squad with the main characters of DN Angel with Satoshi as the squad leader and have them work alongside Shinoa's Squad often to keep things interesting and cater to the DN Angel fans.**


	6. Obsession of a Vampire Prince

****Disclaimer: I do not own Owari no Seraph (Seraph of the End). I write this for your enjoyment only. This story is an alternate version of the Shibuya/Shinjuku arc with differences from the original; please refer to the footnotes at the end. I've been looking forward to finally writing Mika's side of the story since he had not made much of an appearance since chapter four of my previous fem!Yuu story. Once again, I would like to thank my beta reader, ResidentialPsycho, for her help in making this fic possible.****

 ** **Chapter 6: Obsession of a Vampire Prince****

 ** **October 23, 2020****

 ** **Kobe, Sannomiya *1*****

It's a Horseman of John! Everyone, run for your lives!" A young man screamed.

His voice caused the crowd of people he was a part of to take flight as they were once again forced to flee the city ruins where many survivors of the apocalypse who were not fortunate enough to reside within the safety of the walls had managed to scrape out a living.

For eight years, the lives of such people were consumed with the struggle to survive as adequate food, water, and medicine were scarce with many succumbing to starvation or disease.

Judging by look of things, Mikaela Hyakuya could tell that this was not the first time this small community of apocalypse survivors have been rooted from their home, if one could call it that. Yet at the same time, the blond found himself envying those humans who, despite all their difficulties, did not have to suffer the constant blood-thirst he did.

Out of the corner of his eye, Mika saw a little girl trip and land hard on the cracked concrete road while she struggled to keep up with the other humans, crying out for her mother in fear as a Horseman of John started to approach with the intention of making her a snack.

"Mommy! Somebody, help!" she cried as she brought her arms up in an attempt to shield herself before she saw a figure in white suddenly appear in front of her where there was no one before. Where he came from, the girl had no idea since he moved faster than the human eye could see, coming in between her and the monster that intended to devour her.

"My sword, drink of me…" Mika murmured quietly and the child watched in amazement as a thick red vine with sharp thorns emerged from the hilt of the European-style broadsword in his hand to wrap itself around his wrist, causing the blade to turn blood-red. With a single swipe, Mika easily sliced the Horseman of John in half while standing in front of the little girl to shield her from the gruesome sight as well as being splashed with blood though there was nothing he could do about the resulting bloodstains on his white attire.

It was times like these that Mika couldn't understand why vampire soldiers were required to wear white uniforms that could get dirty so easily. At least the human soldiers of the JIDA did not have to worry about such a thing. But Mika supposed the other vampires wasn't nearly as bothered by it as he was, especially the ones who had been alive much longer than him and had witnessed so much bloodshed they became desensitized to it.

After the monster chasing the crowd of humans were dead and its lifeless corpse laid out on the streets, Mika heard everyone start to cheer.

"Th-The vampires have come to help us! We're saved! Now we'll be protected by the vampires just like Osaka is!"

The blond frowned but said nothing as he slid his sword back in its sheath before offering a hand to help the young girl he had just saved back onto her feet. Mika was about to ask if she was alright when he heard a rude snicker behind him and turned to see one of his companions, a vampire with shoulder-length purple hair tied in a half-bun, approach him.

"Ha ha ha! 'Protect'…? That's funny. Who 'protects' livestock? We __own__ them just like they own the animals they eat!" he chuckled as he flashed his fangs at the girl while giving her a predatory look.

Mika glared at his rude companion as he quickly pulled the child behind his back protectively.

"What do you want, Lacus?" he snarled. "If you're looking for a drink, you're going to have to wait until we get back to Sanguinem since our queen has strictly forbidden us to drink directly from humans."

"Pfft! What a goody-two-shoes!" the other vampire scoffed. "Pretty ironic considering that you went against orders and engaged the enemy on your own. Are you seeking to impress the queen by such a feat?"

"And what of it?" Mika shot back. "I'm not doing any of this for credit; I could care less for such triviality."

Though he and Lacus had been working together for almost three years, the two never became close or remotely friendly. In fact, they barely tolerated each other, only cooperating on missions because Queen Krul had ordered them to.

In his human life, Lacus Welt had been a former Waffen-SS soldier *****2***** who nearly perished when Adolf Hitler's Nazi regime fell in the mid-1940s before he had been turned into a vampire. And like his long-dead Führer *****3***** , Lacus looked down upon people of races he deemed "inferior". In his human life, it was the Jews and other non-Aryans he despised. Now as a vampire, it was all of humanity as a whole. At ninety-five years of age, Lacus was considered young for a vampire.

And unfortunately, his youth combined with his careless nature made it difficult for him to restrain himself from drinking a human to death, thus Mika's warning for Lacus not to touch the child he just rescued.

Before the purple-haired vampire could reply, they heard a calm but sharp voice cut in.

"That's enough, you two. We're here to gather the humans. Whatever it is you're discussing can wait until we get home."

Turning, Mika and Lacus saw another young vampire guard with neck-length black hair pulled back in a weave design approach as he gave them both a stern look. Anyone who saw them now might assume he was acting as an older, more responsible brother trying to break up some bickering among his siblings.

"Tsk, fine! I swear, you're no fun, Rene. All work and no play make you a dull boy, you know," Lacus joked.

If he weren't already so emotionally dead inside, Rene Simms might have been annoyed at his companion's remark. Like Lacus, he too, was young by vampire standards, having lost his human life when the Nazis invaded his home country of France during WWII. And like Lacus, Rene had not been thrilled when he was assigned to watch and protect Mikaela after the blond joined the vampire guard but dutifully obeyed his queen's orders because he knew it would not be wise to refuse.

"Never mind that," Rene said simply before turning back to Mika and the girl he knew was hiding behind his companion's back. "You there, girl. Just get back with the humans gathered over there; I'm sure your parents will be among them."

At first, the child hesitated as if she feared leaving Mika's side but the blond gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.

"It's ok, I'll escort her to the humans myself, Rene," Mika said as he shot Lacus a contemptuous look that told the other vampire he trusted him not to harm the girl just about as far as he could throw him.

Seeing no reason to argue, the raven-haired vampire nodded and allowed Mika to lead the child away before he himself went to the crowd of humans with Lacus accompanying him as he made an announcement.

"Listen, all! This territory will now be ruled and protected by vampires in the name of our queen, Krul Tepes! In exchange for your safety, we request the donation of your blood."

Although none of the humans were keen on the idea of providing vampires with blood or becoming their livestock, no one argued since it was a better alternative than living in constant fear of the monsters unleashed upon mankind after the apocalypse. There were even many who believed that those who perished from the virus nearly a decade ago were the lucky ones.

And in a way, Mikaela agreed with them. He knew Rene sang an old song when he promised the destitute humans that the vampires would protect them and provide everything they needed to survive in exchange for their blood, even if it was on Krul's orders. Mika knew they weren't really being given a choice in the matter any more than he or the rest of the children in Kyoto who were captured and brought underground did the day the world fell.

"Um, Mister Vampire?"

The blond was snapped out of this thoughts when he felt a tug on his sleeve and turned to face the little girl he had just saved.

"Yes, what is it?" he asked gently.

The child blushed before pulling her dirty and worn sweater slightly off her shoulder, exposing her neck.

"Thank you for saving me back there. Um… If you want, you can drink my blood. Because it's you, I don't mind."

Mika gasped softly at the girl's offer as felt a blush creep to his cheeks. Now that he got a closer look at her, he finally noticed that she had black hair and green eyes, just like Yuichiro _ _.__

For a moment, the blond remained silent before answering. "I appreciate the offer, child, but it isn't necessary. Please, go back to your parents. You should be safe with them."

Without waiting for the girl to answer, Mika quickly left her to hide behind a building away from the humans and other vampires. For some reason, the child he rescued reminded him of his lost orphanage sister whom he had spent the last half-decade searching for. Not a day had gone by since they parted that Mikaela had not thought of Yuichiro; she was the only reason he allowed himself to be turned into the monster he was now…

 ** **SSSSSS****

 _ ** _ **October 16, 2016**_**_

" _ _I love you, Mikaela… goodbye…"__

 _ _Yuichiro's sudden confession almost made the blond boy forget the agonizing pain he was going through as her soft lips brushed against his. In all the time they had known each other, Mikaela had no idea his orphanage sister felt__ that __way about him until now, until it was too late and he was now at death's door.__

No… _ _he thought as he watched Yuichiro finally get up and run away.__ I'm glad… glad she's finally leaving this cursed prison for good…

" _ _I love you too, Yuu-chan…" he said when his sister was finally out of earshot as he managed a weak smile before letting his head touch the floor, his cheek resting on the cold tiles. "I can now rest easy knowing that at least__ you __are safe…"__

 _ _As he felt his life's blood pool beneath him, turning the tiles crimson, Mika found himself starting to shiver and shake as if he were freezing. He knew he was starting to go into shock from blood loss. Any minute now, death would surely claim him and he too, would be freed from the prison that had been his family's home for the past four years.__

 _ _But fate had not been so kind to Mikaela as it was to Yuichiro and the rest of their family who now laid dead all around him along with the silver-haired vampire lord who massacred them.__

 _ _Mika was about to close his eyes and resign himself to his fate when he heard a loud voice accompanied by heavy footsteps call out.__

" _ _What's going on here?!"__

 _ _Turning his head slightly, the blond boy saw a small group of vampire guards approach. No doubt they had heard the commotion as well as gunshots at the gates and had come to investigate. Though vampires were not known for being emotional, the guards who showed up clearly looked shocked at seeing their fallen lord lying face down on the floor with a bullet wound in his head, his dark blood and brains splattered all over the white tiles.__

" _ _Lord Ferid! What happened here?!" one of the guards asked as he shook Ferid in an attempt to wake him while completely ignoring the corpses of the dead children surrounding them. Another guard looked around and noticed that Mika was still alive and conscious.__

" _ _Hey, this one is still breathing! Did__ he __shoot Lord Ferid?" he asked in astonishment.__

 _ _A third vampire bent over slightly to examine the dying blond boy, turning Mika onto his back.__

" _ _Doubtful," he said. "There isn't a gun in sight. Whoever did it must have gotten away. As for this one, he's as good as dead anyway. Might as well put him out of his misery."__

 _ _And with that, the vampire guard withdrew his sword from its sheath and was about to end Mika's life for good when they heard a youthful, but sharp, female voice call out.__

" _ _Still your blades and your tongues!" she commanded.__

" _ _My queen!" the guards cried when they saw a pink-haired female vampire dressed in a short black dress with knee high boots who appeared no older than a girl of fourteen, make her presence known. Immediately, all three of them fell to one knee and placed their right fists over their chests in a gesture of respect for someone of her station.__

 _ _But looking at her, Mika knew that appearances were deceiving when it came to vampires. For a moment, he thought the female vampire looked familiar before he suddenly remembered her as the one who led an army of vampires out into Kyoto to collect the surviving children the night of the apocalypse. He and Yuichiro had noticed her when they tried to lead their younger orphanage siblings into hiding because she stood out among the other vampires who invaded Kyoto that fateful night.__

 _ _After taking a quick glance at the other children's corpses, the vampire queen knew right away that Mika was the only one alive, though barely. As she kneeled over the dying blond boy, the queen turned her head in Ferid's direction.__

" _ _Look at this mess you've made, Ferid…" she snarled, her fangs flashing. In answer, both Mika and the queen heard a chuckle as Ferid slowly stirred from his position on the floor and sat upright, draping an arm over his knee. His long silver hair was freed from its usual ponytail while his own elegant clothes were stained with blood.__

 _ _Instead of asking Ferid if he was all right, Krul gave him a cold look. "What is the meaning of this, Ferid Bathory? Explain yourself," she growled.__

 _ _The silver-haired noble gave her an innocent look as he feigned hurt.__

" _ _Oh, how cruel!" he pouted. "I was just shot in the head, you know? It is only my deep love for you that gives me the strength to smile at all."__

 _ _The vampire queen named Krul gave him a disgusted look. "Ha! Love? The only thing you've ever been in love with is my power. And after all these centuries, do you still think I could be charmed by your silk tongue?"__

" _ _Heh heh, I love that too, my beautiful queen," Ferid answered with a grin and a wink, neither of which impressed her.__

 _ _Krul rolled her eyes before returning her attention to Mika and frowned. From the look of things, the child had lost a lot of blood and didn't have much time left.__

" _ _What happened here, Ferid? And don't bother lying, I know you couldn't have been taken down by mere human children. You__ deliberately _ _allowed them to escape. They were__ my __seraphs. But now one is gone and the other is dying. If you have any explanation for this travesty, offer it now."__

 _ _While any other vampire below Krul's station would have desperately tried to come up with a convincing story not to incur her wrath, Ferid, ever so daring, merely grinned and shrugged his shoulders.__

" _ _Me? If anyone owes an explanation, it is__ you _ _, my queen" he began boldly, his words making the vampire guards raise a brow in curiosity as to what their lord meant.__

 _ _Not wanting them to stick around long enough to find out, Krul turned to the guards and said: "Leave us. I wish to speak with Ferid alone."__

" _ _Yes, Your Majesty!" the guards replied as they stood up and left without another word, not wanting to be caught up in whatever storm was brewing between Ferid and Krul.__

 _ _After the guards left, Ferid continued. "Meddling with the curse of the seraphs is forbidden. To do so goes against the law of our people. Now, if I were to mention it to the Progenitor Council, then…"__

 _ _Krul's ruby-colored eyes flashed dangerously, even more so than her razor sharp fangs before managing her sweetest smile.__

" _ _Hmm? I'm sorry, I didn't quite hear you. What about the Progenitor Council?"__

" _ _I__ said _ _, if I tell this to the…"__

 _ _Before the defiant noble could even finish his sentence, Mika's eyes widened as he saw Krul suddenly vanish from his sight before blood gushed from Ferid's side as he was knocked to the floor again with the queen standing over him, her booted foot over this exposed throat. Judging from the look of things, Mika surmised Krul had torn off Ferid's arm as well as giving him a nasty chest wound though she had moved too fast for his human eyes to see.__

" _ _Aha ha! I still couldn't hear you. Would you say it one more time?" the queen asked as she pressed her foot down on Ferid's throat a little harder, her lips curled into a sneer as she dared him to say what they both knew was on his mind.__

 _ _If he were a human or even a common vampire, she could have easily crushed his throat but since Ferid was a noble, it caused him great discomfort instead. It didn't take a genius to figure out that the other vampire was planning to use his knowledge of the seraphs in Krul's possession to blackmail her.__

 _ _Ferid remained silent as he gave Krul a wide-eyed stare. Even if he wanted to speak, her foot on this throat made it quite impossible so she lifted it slightly to wait for his answer.__

" _ _That was mean, Krul… I can reattach my arm, but losing it still hurts." He gagged.__

 _ _"Shall I cut off your head next?" she asked sweetly.__

" _ _That would be… inconvenient. All right, I accept the loss. I will not pry into this matter any further."__

 _ _Krul narrowed her eyes at her subordinate as if she wasn't convinced of his promise. As if reading her mind, Ferid continued.__

" _ _I mean it. I know I could__ never _ _survive here if I dare defy you." He insisted.__

" _ _Hmph. All right. However, if I__ ever _ _catch you poking your nose into this again…"__

" _ _Don't worry, I don't want to die."__

" _ _Then get out of my sight before I change my mind."__

 _ _Ferid sighed but nodded in obedience as Krul stepped back and allowed him to stand. As soon as he was able, the silver-haired noble calmly walked to the other end of the hall to pick up his severed arm and waved it playfully at her.__

" _ _I'm going, I'm going! But I'll be back, Krul! You know I could__ never __stay away from you for long since I love you sooo much!"__

 _ _If it weren't for Mika's dire situation, Krul might have torn off Ferid's other arm along with his tongue for such an insolent comment but said nothing and allowed him to leave. As soon as he was gone, she knelt over the dying blond boy again and Mika thought he saw concern as well as pity in her eyes that made him think he must be hallucinating from the blood loss. After all, vampires were supposedly incapable of feeling, let alone expressing such things, or so he heard.__

" _ _Boy, can you hear me? I'll be blunt since you don't have much time left. The others are dead; there is nothing I can do for them. But__ you, __at least, still have a chance. If I leave you here, you'll die. Or, you can live on, young always, as you are now..."__

 _ _The queen did not elaborate further but Mikaela knew exactly what she implied.__

" _ _No…" he answered weakly. "Just leave me be; I want to be with my family."__

 _ _Krul smirked. "Family? What about that other boy who just got away? Are you just going to take the easy way out and leave him to his fate? You have no idea what lies beyond that gate, child. What kind of life would your brother have out there? Don't you want to live so you can save him?"__

 _ _Mika swallowed nervously as his thoughts returned to Yuichiro and he realized that Krul had a point. There was nothing either of them could do for Akane and the others but__ Yuichiro, __at least was still alive. He had promised to protect her, to give her a life away from Sanguinem, and take her to America like she had always wanted. How could he do any of that if he died right here and now?__

 _ _Looking the vampire queen in the eye, Mikaela changed his answer.__

" _ _Yes…"__ ** ***4*****

 _ _As soon as she had his consent, the queen gave him a smile that was not condescending like the one she gave Ferid.__

" _ _A wise choice…" Krul said as she prickled her tongue with the tip of her fang slightly to make it bleed before hovering over the blond boy, her knees on each of his sides, taking care not to make his chest injury worse before pressing her lips to his.__

 _ _Mika's eyes widened and he felt the sudden urge to gag when the vampire queen forced his mouth open with her tongue and let her blood pour down her throat, the coppery taste making him want to vomit though he resisted the urge to do so.__

I'm doing this for Yuu-chan… _ _he thought weakly before he felt an absolutely searing pain coursing through his veins, his bones, his__ everything. _ _It felt like fire had seeped into his skin and was invading every single crevice of his body that it could work itself into. The boy screamed, his wounded body arched off the floor and writhed with each agonized wail that escaped his lips.__

 _ _As he felt the queen's icy lips on his, Mika's pupils dilated until they nearly eclipsed the blue of his irises and Krul had to use her vampiric strength to hold him down so that he wouldn't hurt himself further before his body began to change and heal.__

 _ _Thus ends the first life of Mikaela Hyakuya…__

 _ _And begins another…__

 ** **SSSSSS****

 ** **October 24, 2020****

 ** **Third Vampire City, Sanguinem****

Walking with quiet, cat-like steps, Mikaela arrived at the huge Sanguinem auditorium after returning from Kobe. Before his arrival, the blond had made sure to shower and change into a clean uniform along with the other vampire guards who were currently guarding all the exits. All around him, vampire nobles of various ranks were gathered to await an important announcement from their queen. If not for Ferid waving to catch his attention, Mika would have chosen to remain at one of the doors since he didn't want to be noticed by anyone.

Unfortunately, though he tried to make his entrance as subtle as possible, there was little that escaped Ferid's notice. Especially when came to Mikaela himself. Not wanting the noble to make a scene by calling out to him, Mika approached Ferid who was sitting alone at one of the auditorium balcony railings though he did not sit down himself, choosing to remain standing a few seats down from the vampire lord who was once his benefactor. After what Ferid had put him through, the young blond did not want to be anywhere near him but stayed close enough so that he would be satisfied.

Even though she was some distance away, Krul's sharp eyes caught sight of Mikaela and she smiled as if she were waiting for him to arrive before approaching the podium and making her announcement.

"My brethren, I thank you for gathering here today. As you know, I have summoned you all here to warn of an impending danger to our kind. Over the last decade, the humans have secretly risen to power by meddling with the forbidden magic we all know as 'Seraph of the End' to expand their territories. More specifically, it is a human organization called the Japanese Imperial Demon Army that has been running rampant north of Tokyo. Even now, they still refuse to learn from their mistakes and the world could once again be in danger if we stand by and do nothing."

Although he did his best to maintain his composure, Mika could not help repressing a shudder when the queen mentioned the seraph experiments. It was because of them that ninety percent of the human race had been wiped out overnight. The only reason he was standing here now was because he, Yuichiro, and the rest of their orphanage brothers and sisters had been children the night the virus struck. Now that Mika was a vampire, he would undoubtedly survive if such an epidemic were to happen again but Yuichiro would not be as fortunate so he knew he had to speed up the search for his sister before it was too late.

While the blond was lost in his thoughts, Krul continued.

"And that is why I have made the decision to declare war on the Japanese Imperial Demon Army. For the sake of the world and its stability, we must destroy them and put an end to their blasphemous experiments once and for all! Now, who's with me?!"

In answer, the other nobles clapped, cheered, and gave their eager approval. Even the guards joined in. All except Mika. He could care less about the rest of the remaining humans (or vampires). His mind was on one person only, his only reason for being.

"My love…" he murmured as he placed a fist over his heart, "Wait for me, I'm coming to your rescue."

Though Mikaela's words were barely above a whisper and he deliberately avoided mentioned Yuichiro's name, Ferid's sharp hearing easily picked them up as if he had shouted them across the room. He knew exactly who the boy was talking about and hid a smirk behind the hand on which he rested his cheek.

So far, everything was going according to his careful plan…

 ** **SSSSSS****

After the assembly had ended, Mikaela, who was glad to finally put some distance between Ferid and himself, left the auditorium to head back to Krul's palace where his living quarters were. Only the guards and servants who worked at the queen's residence were permitted to live there as well. The only exception was Mikaela, who usually worked outside the palace as he was often sent on missions beyond Sanguinem. But because he was the adopted son of Krul Tepes as well as her favorite, Mika was permitted to live within the luxury of the queen's palace though he actually cared little for such extravagance.

Because of his youth, he was not looked favorably upon by the other vampire guards as well as the nobles who had served Krul for decades or centuries. Even the other human children who remembered him from when he was one of them looked at him with contempt whenever they saw him walk by them in the city streets as he completed his rounds with Lacus and Rene.

With his sharp, vampiric hearing, Mika's ears easily picked up the subtle cruel insults they muttered under their breaths that they would never dare say to his face. The same was true of the other vampires, nobles and guards alike. Mika knew they had no love for him, only tolerating him because he was openly favored by Krul (and Ferid).

Even so, having their favor did not make Mika's life any easier, for the other vampires, especially Lacus and Rene, hated him with bitter jealousy. They would often call him the "Queen's pet" or at best, her adopted son. But they would never honor Mikaela by calling him "Prince." Whether it was out of envy or contempt for him as a recently turned vampire, the blond did not know.

Nor did he care.

On his way back to the palace, Mika found himself taking a different route than he normally did. Whether out of boredom or just because he wanted to avoid running into the other vampire guards, he wasn't sure. But this particular road seemed familiar to him and it wasn't long before he realized that it was the one he took when returning from Ferid's mansion after a night of "donating" blood to the noble and taking his reward home hidden in a bag he disguised as trash to avoid drawing the attention of the older livestock children.

Looking ahead, the blond recognized one of the houses as the one he and his family used to live in and noticed that the lights were on inside. Although it was not something he would normally do, Mika knocked on the door, curious to see if anyone was living there now.

After a moment of waiting, the door opened and he saw a young boy who was no older than eight or nine years old, the age Aiko, his youngest sister, would have been now. Although he had not seen him in years, Mika recognized him as one of the kids who used to live in another house down the street with his own family of orphaned kids.

"Mika? Is that you?" he asked nervously. *****5*****

The blond smiled. Seeing a familiar face somehow lightened his grim heart.

"Yes, it's me, Yoshi. I know it's been a long time, but I'm glad you remember me even though I'm like…this now."

"Of course, I remember! You've always been so nice to us! You used to give us candies though you never did tell us where you got them."

Mika was silent for a moment as he remembered that the candies he gave Yoshi and his family were often the ones Yuichiro and Akane didn't like. And since anything editable in Sanguinem was too precious to simply throw away, the blond would simply give them to anyone who wanted them.

"It was my pleasure…" he said. "Have you been living here a while?"

"A few years," Yoshi answered. "I heard you and the other Hyakuya kids disappeared and when this house became empty, my sister moved me and our other siblings here since it's bigger than our other house. What happened to you, Mika?"

Mikaela's breath hitched in his throat at the sudden question before answering.

"It's a long story, Yoshi and I don't want to bore you. I'm happy to see you again though I regret that I don't have anything for you this time."

Before Yoshi could tell the blond that he didn't mind, they both heard an angry female voice coming from behind him.

"Yoshi! What did I tell you about opening the door for strangers?!"

Turning, Yoshi saw his older sister, a fifteen-year-old girl named Akira, with her hands on her hips giving both him and Mika a glare before coming over to grab the younger boy by the arm and pulling him behind her. The older girl's actions reminded Mikaela of when he and Yuichiro first met while she was playing in her parents' yard. And how her mother, who also didn't want Yuu associating with Mika, dragged her back inside the house by the arm before giving him a glare to scare him away.

"Akira, please, you know that I would never harm Yoshi…" he began.

For a moment, Akira blinked before her eyes widened and she recognized the blond boy who used to be her neighbor when he was human.

"Mikaela Hyakuya! So it's true what the other kids say, that you're now a vampire who serves the queen! You've got a lot of nerve showing your face around here! What do you want?!"

"I don't 'want' anything," Mika answered. "I was just curious to see who lives in my old home now."

"And what's it to you? This place has been empty since the rest of the Hyakuya kids disappeared so you have no right to complain if we take it for ourselves!" Akira snapped before giving the blond a suspicious look. "Come to think of it, what happened to Yuichiro and the others? Did you betray them to the fangs to become a vampire yourself, so you can enjoy the queen's favor and the luxuries that come with it?"

Mikaela found himself staring at the girl who used to be his neighbor incredulously. He knew he shouldn't be surprised that she would ask such a thing since Krul and Ferid had made sure to cover up the incident with the Hyakuya orphans as well as swear the vampire guards who rushed to Ferid's aid that night to secrecy. Even so, Akira's words still cut deep.

"Do you really believe that, Akira? I've never known you to be so judgmental. Despite what you think, that is __not__ what happened. But since you've already decided that you won't believe anything I say, I see no reason to explain myself any further. Good night."

And without another word, Mikaela turned and left the house that was once his home, to their new residents for his living quarters at the palace.

Although he was now an expert at masking his emotions, the younger girl's words had wounded him deeply. Especially since he had literally risked everything to get his family out of Sanguinem to freedom and lost his human life when their attempt failed. On top of that, he was also accused of betraying and killing them himself which was a grave injustice. Not only did the other vampires look upon Mikaela with contempt, but also the humans who once knew him as well.

 _ _Not like it matters…__ he thought sadly. __I can't change what happened or what others think of me. Nor do I care enough to try. All that matters now is finding Yuu-chan and getting away from this God-forsaken place…__

 ** **Footnotes:****

 ** **1\. Sannomiya is the biggest downtown area of the city of Kobe, in the Kansai region of Japan.****

 ** **2\. The**** ****Waffen-SS**** ****was the armed wing of the Nazi Party's SS organization. Its formations included men from Nazi Germany, along with volunteers and conscripts from both occupied and unoccupied lands. Judging from Lacus' surname and attitude, I assume he's of German decent and could have been a former Nazi in his human life.****

 ** **3\. "Führer" is a German title meaning "leader" or "guide" that is now most associated with Adolf Hitler. The word Führer in the sense of guide remains common in German, but because of its strong association with Nazi Germany, it comes with some stigma and negative connotations when used with the meaning of leader. The word "Leiter" is therefore used instead.****

 ** **4\. In canon, Mikaela actually wanted to die. But in my AU, he chooses to live by whatever means necessary because of his desire to rescue Yuichiro.****

 ** **5\. The scene where Mika visits his old home and finds a new family living there is anime-only. He actually doesn't know them but for my fic, he does and I gave them a bit of history to make things interesting.****


	7. What Lies Beneath

****Disclaimer: I do not own Owari no Seraph (Seraph of the End) I write this for your enjoyment only. This story is an alternate version of the Shibuya/Shinjuku arc with differences from the original; please refer to the footnotes at the end. Once again, I would like to thank my beta reader, ResidentialPsycho, for her help in making this fic possible. Enjoy and please review!****

 ** **Chapter 7: What Lies Beneath****

 ** **October 30, 2020****

 ** **Shibuya, Japanese Imperial Demon Army Headquarters****

 _ _Absolutely boring…__

Was what Guren Ichinose always thought of the mandatory meetings with his own higher-ups, the Hiragis, who ran the Japanese Imperial Demon Army as well the country itself. Ironically, after the apocalypse, Japan's western-style democratic government had collapsed, leaving only the military to keep order in the nation, reverting Japan to a government similar to the Shogunate *****1***** of centuries past.

Not that there was much of a nation left to govern. But that was beside the point.

While wishing for the meeting to be over as soon as possible, Guren suddenly felt someone nudging him in the ribs in order to catch his attention. Opening his eyes, Guren saw Shinya, who was sitting right next to him, give him a look of sight annoyance, making it quite obvious that this wasn't the first time he had to wake his best friend up when their meetings rocked him to sleep.

"Hmm? What is it, Shinya? Is the meeting over yet?" Guren yawned as he stretched his arms high above his head in a display of blatant disregard (and disrespect) for his superiors.

"Oh? What's with that attitude? As a member of the Ichinose clan, you should show more respect to your betters, lieutenant colonel," a heavy-set, middle-aged man with half his face covered in a patch, growled.

While everyone else in the room nodded in agreement with the speaker, General Tenri Hiragi, Guren merely smirked at him.

"Forgive me, my lord. It's just sooo hard for me to keep my eyes open when I get bored to tears," he sneered.

Although he attempted to feign politeness, Guren wasn't anywhere near as good as his young ward and Shinya had to stifle a laugh at his best friend's pathetic attempt to imitate Yuichiro's suave and subtle insults which were not very convincing. Especially since the contempt in Guren's voice was still quite obvious to everyone in the room.

General Hiragi himself was certainly not impressed. As the patriarch of the esteemed Hiragi family as well as the most powerful figure in Japan, he was respected and feared by all. And few things irked him as much as someone who did not know their place. Were Guren Ichinose not so useful to his army, Tenri would have had him stripped of his rank or even executed a long time ago for his insolence.

"Don't get so full of yourself," the general said in a subtle, but threatening tone. "I'm sure that if I look hard enough, I can still replace you…"

Before Guren could make a sharp retort and provoke Tenri further, Shinya turned to his adoptive father, who was more like his master since the general treated his own children more like servants than sons or daughters, and attempted to change the subject.

"Now, now, I'm sure he didn't mean anything by it. In any case, I believe we have more important things to discuss such as the disruptions perpetuated by the vampires in the Kansai area…"

Uninterested and unimpressed by his best friend's efforts to cover his ass, Guren rose from his seat and asked: "May I take my leave? I'm sure the almighty Hiragis don't need the opinions of a lowly Ichinose clan member like myself anyway. Please send me a report on the meeting later."

Without waiting for the general's permission to leave, Guren turned and made his way for the door. Although Shinya knew him long enough to expect such behavior from his best friend, he still wished Guren would show him at least some appreciation for covering his back whenever he said or did anything to rile his superiors.

Especially the top brass himself.

"You know, Guren, it's hard for me to back you up when you act like such a jerk…" Shinya said in light-hearted tone.

"Heh, I don't ever recall asking you to do that, old friend. It's not like the Hiragis really need me anyway. Like the general says, I am replaceable. If he looks hard enough," Guren said with a shrug of his shoulders, his hand on the doorknob as he prepared to take his leave.

Before Shinya could reply, they heard a snort coming from another young man with dark hair styled in a mohawk and narrow brown eyes.

"Well, at least you know your place, Ichinose. Go on, then, dead-weight. We can get things done just fine without you as we always have," Seishiro sneered.

"Seishiro, Guren is not the only one here who needs to mind his manners…" Kureto, the eldest son of the general, warned as he made his own attempt to smooth over the officers' meeting. If there was one thing Kureto had in common with his father (and Guren), it was his contempt for his younger half-brother.

Ignoring Kureto, Guren gave Seishiro a dirty look but said nothing as he opened the door and left the meeting room. As much the general of the Demon Army may despise him, Guren knew that Tenri tolerated his rude behavior because of his usefulness. Even so, the lieutenant colonel still knew there was a line he shouldn't cross since anyone in the army was replaceable, including the general's own children.

 _ _Such idiocy…__ he thought as he walked down the hallway and opened the exit door of the JIDA Headquarters and went outside. __The world is practically ruined and those corrupt bastards are still wasting time on political and factional disputes instead of what really matters…__

Although glad to be away from the Hiragis, another reason Guren wanted to leave the meeting was to check up on his young ward whom he had not seen in over a week.

"I thought I might find you here, Guren. But aren't your meetings with the top brass usually a bit longer than this?" a female voice called.

Guren smirked as he turned his head towards the owner of the voice. __Well, speak of the devil…__ he thought.

"And what's it to you, Yuichiro?" he asked in the sweetest tone he could muster.

"Let me guess, you were kicked out of the officers' meeting because you said or did something to tick off General Hiragi as usual?" Yuichiro asked coolly as she approached her guardian with her hands folded behind her back.

After only three years of dressing like a girl, the ravenette had learned to move and even fight with a feminine grace that never failed to charm him. Him and countless other young men and boys whose eyes (and fancy) she caught but never noticed.

And any who dared to approach her did not continue their advances for long after Shinoa reported them to Guren. The purple-haired girl dutifully obeyed his orders to keep hormone-crazed school boys away from Yuichiro but any who were persistent enough to bypass Shinoa were intimidated into giving up by Guren himself.

Judging from the fact that Yuichiro was clad in her school uniform with her long raven hair neatly braided over her shoulder, Guren surmised that she must have come to headquarters before school to search for him.

"Like I said, what's it to you?" he repeated.

"Oh, nothing. Just that I find it a bit hypocritical how you're always telling me to respect my superiors while you fall short of it yourself" the younger girl teased. "Not only that, you've been a bit less than courteous to your own subordinates as well. If I may ask, where did you disappear off to for over a week?"

"Oh? And why do you wanna know, brat? Did you miss me __that__ much?" Guren teased with a grin, trying to hide his annoyance at Yuichiro for boldly pointing out his faults. Faults that she wouldn't know if not for Shinya giving her the dirt on him.

"Hmph! Don't flatter yourself, __sir.__ You know what I'm really after…" the younger girl retorted with a mischievous grin of her own, her green eyes glittering dangerously before she suddenly lifted her right leg, pivoted on her left, and attempted to deliver a swift roundhouse kick to her guardian's ribs.

"Haha! I knew it, there's no beating around the bush with you, girl!" Guren laughed as he easily caught Yuichiro by the ankle.

 _ _What impeccable timing! Just the kind of fun I needed after all that boring talk of politics!__ He thought gleefully.

While most people might have fallen over after such an interception, Yuichiro skillfully managed to maintain her balance on her left leg while her right ankle was in Guren's firm grip.

"It looks like Mito has taught you well," he praised. "I'm glad. Unfortunately for you, I'm also familiar with her little underhanded tricks; you're both so predictable."

Yuichiro blinked as if wondering what he meant. Unknown to the younger girl, her attack reminded Guren of the time Mito attempted to ambush him outside their old high school gymnasium and wondered if his crimson-haired friend gave her the idea.

"Maybe. But I'm not here to entertain you, sir," Yuichiro shot back as he released her ankle and allowed her to pull back her leg and stand properly again. Though she had indeed sought Guren out to remind him of his promise to her, Yuichiro had to admit, at least to herself, that she __did__ miss him as well.

"Yes, I know. You want to hurry up and take the demon aptitude test, so you can get your own cursed weapon to fight the vamps. What's the rush, Yuu? Are you really in such a hurry to die?"

Yuichiro laughed. "Ha! Who said anything about dying? I was just getting bored with classes and field training; don't you think I'm ready to see real battle now? Otherwise, what's the point of it all?"

Guren frowned at the younger girl's remark. Even now, Yuichiro still hadn't given up her desire to exterminate the vampires and avenge her orphanage brothers and sisters. So far, he had successfully protected Yuu by keeping her off the battlefield as well as shielding her from the prying eyes of the Hiragi clan.

But with Yuichiro's growing impatience as well as her remarkable feats being noticed by the other students and teachers at her school, Guren knew it would only be a matter of time before she caught the Hiragis' attention as well.

 _ _I can't let the Hiragis find out about her… not now…__ he thought.

Sighing, Guren finally gave in and yielded to his ward's desire. "Very well, would you like me to have you form a contract with a demon today and send you to the battlefront tomorrow even though you haven't completed your training yet? Do you think you're ready, Yuu?"

Yuichiro's eyes brightened. "Are you serious, sir? Or is this another one of your jests?"

"Of course not. Who am I to argue if you insist on getting killed? If you do, it'll be your own fault, Yuichiro."

The younger girl threw her head back before placing her ebony braid over her shoulder again. "I have no intention of dying, Guren."

The lieutenant colonel smiled. His ward's displays of confidence, even when she was really nervous or frightened inside, never ceased to amuse him. After having to listen to his superiors' boring disputes for the last two hours, Yuichiro was just what he needed to lighten his sour mood.

"Good to hear…" he said. "Meet me at the MDC training course with the other cadets after school. Bring Yoichi and Kimizuki too. I'll have Shinoa join us as well."

"Of course, sir" Yuichiro said as she turned and prepared to leave.

"Oh, and one more thing, Yuu…"

Curious, Yuichiro turned her head in Guren's direction. "Yes, what is it?"

In answer, Guren suddenly slapped the younger girl in the rear. Hard.

"THAT is for trying to kick a superior officer!" he said in a crass, but playful tone accompanied by a shit-eating grin.

Yuichiro yelped as she felt the heat rush to her cheeks before giving the older man a glare. His action brought back embarrassing memories of their little spat back at the waterfall grounds where Guren spanked her as punishment for putting him through the trouble of saving her from drowning after she fell into the lake below. Something that wouldn't have happened had she not played a prank on him with the flat of her sword in the first place.

"Ugh! Don't you think I'm a little old for spanking now, __sir?"__ the ravenette demanded as she rubbed her sore bottom and looked around, hoping that no one saw what her guardian just did.

Guren chuckled. "Well, Yuu, if you want to be treated as an adult, I suggest you try acting like one."

Not knowing what else to say, Yuichiro turned away from Guren and marched off, her head held high with her pert little nose in the air as she secretly tried to nurse her wounded pride.

"Never mind that, I've got to find Yoichi and Kimizuki now," she said, trying her best to change the subject.

"Make sure you get to class on time; we still need to talk about your punctuality issues too!" Guren called in a sing-song tone, adding insult to injury.

Yuichiro clenched her fists as she looked over her shoulder and shouted to the arrogant bastard whose slap still smarted on her rear.

"Screw you, Guren!"

 ** **SSSSSS****

"Hey, Yuu, are you ok? Is the seat not comfortable for you?" Yoichi asked in concern when he noticed Yuichiro shifting uncomfortably in her desk seat after they had gathered with the other MDC candidates in the classroom Guren assigned them to.

Being in a classroom full of students, the ravenette tried to avoid rubbing her sore bottom. Yuichiro also declined to shower after PE because she knew she might have a bit of difficulty making up a cover story should the other girls ask why she had a large swelling hand-print on her rear, especially Shinoa.

Because, should the purple-haired brat find out just who gave Yuichiro that playful swat, she would never let her live it down and they both knew it. In order to avoid offending her teachers and classmates with any unpleasant body odor she might have accumulated during her PE class, Yuichiro used her lunch break to return to her dorm and shower as well as pick up a small towel she was using to pad her seat with now.

Even so, her bottom still smarted.

"I-I'm fine!" Yuichiro stammered. "Really, it's nothing for you to worry about, Yoi."

Sayuri, who just happened to be walking down the desk rows passing the completed exams back to her students when she heard Yuichiro's embarrassed stammering, had to stifle a laugh. She knew both her superior and his ward long enough to guess what happened and when Sayuri finally stopped by Yuichiro's desk, she leaned over and whispered into the younger girl's ear.

"You know, I can get you an ice-pack from the nurse's office while the other students are going over their tests if you want, Yuichiro."

Blushing fiercely, the ravenette shook her head even though she wasn't really surprised that Sayuri was able to deduce what happened to her; they did live in the same house with the same man for three years, after all.

"Thanks, but that won't be necessary, Sayuri. I'll live."

"Hmm, ok, if you say so…" the older woman said with a wink and a shrug of her shoulders before turning to the rest of the class and clearing her throat to catch their attention.

"Attention, everyone! I will now be passing back the evaluated papers from the written exams you all took yesterday! Your score will determine the rank of demon weapon you will be assigned. So capitalize on it for your next exam."

As soon as Sayuri handed Yuichiro her exam, Shinoa, who stood up from her desk behind Yoichi, walked over to her two friends and asked:

"So what did you get, Miss Hyakuya?"

Yuichiro smirked as she spread her exam, which spanned three sheets of paper, proudly across her desk for everyone to see.

"See for yourself."

Shinoa whistled as her eyes swept across her friend's exams. "Wow, you aced every one of them. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. Your history teacher was stumped that you also aced the exam you provoked him into giving you early too."

"That's amazing, Yuu!" Yoichi exclaimed as he ran his eyes up and down Yuichiro's answers.

"And why do you think that is?" The ravenette asked. "Anyone can do well if they study hard enough."

"Well, that's not what I meant. I meant it's amazing how you are still fluent in English, Latin, AND Japanese considering that you missed four years of schooling while living in the vampire city." *****2*****

"Actually, I missed four and a half years of schooling", Yuichiro corrected. "When he found out I was a girl, my guardian pulled me out of school for six months to wait for my hair to grow out because he wasn't keen on the idea of me suddenly showing up for my classes in a girl's uniform. Especially when everyone thought I was a boy for so long. It probably would have been shocking for them to see me come to school dressed as a boy one day and a girl the very next. Especially with my hair as short as it was."

"Oh, I see… that makes your scores even more impressive."

"Not, really, Yoichi," Shinoa said. "For as long as I've known her, Yuichiro has always put a great deal of effort into her studies. She also reads a lot of books; her room is full of them."

"Yeah… Back in Sanguinem, the vamps saw no reason to teach livestock kids how to read and write. I guess they probably thought it was better for us to remain ignorant and uneducated so that we couldn't think of ways to escape or plot rebellion. But Mika knew how much I loved to read and he would bring me books from the city library. Ironically, though the vamps wouldn't teach us how to read and write, they didn't block our access to books either since they assumed most of the kids couldn't read anyway; they thought we just wanted to look at the pictures." *****3*****

"Is that right?" Kimizuki asked as he approached Yoichi, Shinoa, and Yuichiro who remained sitting. After glancing at the ravenette's exam, he raised a brow. "Looks like the lieutenant colonel was right about you."

Yuichiro smiled at the pink-haired boy. "And what about you, Kimizuki-kun? How did __your__ exam go?"

In answer, Kimizuki placed his own exam on top of Yuichiro's.

"Same as yours," he said. "Still, I have to admit that I didn't have the same disadvantage you did with all the missed schooling while you were a prisoner of the vamps."

Yuichiro shook her head. "That should never stop anyone from excelling. Mika once told me that there is no knowledge that is not power. He was always the smartest of us all. If it weren't for my brother's daring escape plan, I wouldn't be here now."

Curious, Kimizuki and Yoichi was about to ask Yuichiro if she could elaborate when they saw Shinoa shake her head and make a silent gesture with her hand to let them know that it was better not to pry into such a sensitive matter for their raven-haired friend.

Taking the hint, the two boys remained silent and was about to return to their desks when the heard the sound of a door being opened and turned to see none other than Guren himself enter the classroom casually as if were something he did every day instead of when he felt like it.

As soon as the lieutenant colonel was inside, Sayuri greeted him. "Good afternoon, sir. You're just in time; I've passed back the written exams to the students. It looks like they all did pretty well."

In answer, Guren merely raised a brow and said: "'Pretty well' isn't going to be good enough. You know that, Sayuri. That's why I've come to give the kids an additional test. The one that will really count."

Before the younger woman could ask what Guren meant, Kimizuki cleared his throat to catch their attention as he turned to face the pair.

"With all due respect, Lieutenant Colonel Ichinose, could you please explain why you neglected the class and disappeared for almost ten days? I believe we're ready to form a contract with a demon and now is a good time as any."

Guren smirked at the pink-haired boy's audacity in asking him to explain himself.

"You think you're strong enough to form a contract with a demon now?"

Kimizuki scoffed. "Of course we are! At least, __I__ am. "

Satoshi, Daisuke, and Takeshi, who had been listening in silence the whole time, found themselves impressed at Kimizuki's boldness.

"It looks like Yuichiro isn't the only one with enough guts to question the lieutenant colonel's decisions," Daisuke chuckled as he leaned back in his chair.

"I don't know if I would consider his move bold or stupid," Takeshi admitted. "Kimizuki isn't Yuichiro. There's no reason Lieutenant Colonel Ichinose would tolerate him the same way as he does with her."

"Probably," Satoshi agreed. "I'm sure Kimizuki must have his reasons for wanting to join the MDC so badly that he would dare to demand the lieutenant colonel explain himself and in front of the class to boot."

As everyone watched, Guren turned to Sayuri and asked in a low voice. "So what do you think, Sayuri? I've read the report but do you really believe they're capable of resisting demonic temptation?"

The honey-colored haired woman placed a finger on her cheek as she thought over her superior's question. Even though Guren didn't have to ask her thoughts on anything, she appreciated him valuing her opinion all the same and did her best to answer.

"Well, at the very least I can tell you that Kimizuki and Yuichiro are stronger than I was at their age."

"And what about the others?"

"You'd be surprised but I've discovered that Yoichi Satome is the one most capable of resisting demons psychologically despite his frail appearance."

"Oh? How interesting," Guren said as his lips twitched up in a smug grin. "Shall I put them all to the test, then?" he asked as he slowly started to pull his sword from its sheath.

Alarmed, Sayuri protested. "Sir, you can't be serious!"

"And why not? After all, this is the quickest way to find out who can withstand the demons' energy. If anyone here cannot, then it's their own fault for not training enough!"

Before Sayuri could protest further, Guren withdrew his sword completely, exposing the dark blade within and pierced the classroom floor in front of the students, flooding the room with a demonic aura.

Out of instinct, Sayuri pulled out her warding spells but even with them, she still shuddered from the overwhelming energy.

Surprisingly, the seemingly frail Yoichi and Shinoa were unaffected while the rest of the class struggled not to collapse.

"Shit, what's this horrible feeling?" Yuichiro gasped as she wrapped her arms around herself, closed her eyes, and tried to focus on staying upright.

Kimizuki clutched the front of his uniform with his hand as he found himself panting like a dog. "It feels like my whole body's being compressed!" he growled.

Satoshi, Daisuke, and Takeshi would have voiced their agreement with Yuu and Kimizuki if the demonic energy had not rendered them unable to speak. Even so, they still manage to remain standing while the other students started to collapse and lose consciousness one by one.

After what felt like an eternity, Guren finally lifted the point of his sword from the floor and slid it back into its sheath.

"Enough," he said as he turned to the students who managed to stay awake. While Yuu, Shinoa, Kimizuki, and Yoichi were able to stay on their feet, Satoshi, Daisuke, and Takeshi fell to their knees but remained conscious.

"Those who are still standing may test for their demon weapons right away with me. Those on their knees will test with Major General Shinya Hiragi in three days. As for those who are neither standing nor kneeling, well, keep training and __maybe__ one day you'll contract with a demon weapon."

In response, everyone who didn't lose consciousness stared at Guren incredulously for his pointless comment towards the comatose students who couldn't hear him anyway.

Ignoring their stares, Guren continued. "Anyway, Yuichiro, Yoichi, and Kimizuki, come with me. As for Satoshi, Daisuke, and Takeshi, you'll have to wait a bit longer for your own demon weapons but use the time to train harder before Major General Hiragi tests you."

Shinoa, had who expected Guren to say something like that, merely brought her hand to her mouth and giggled.

Annoyed, he shot the purple-haired girl a looked that said he wished she had collapsed with the rest of the class.

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised you would be unfazed by the demon's aura. But I supposed that is to be expected of a scion of the noble Hiragi family."

Shinoa laughed. "Or maybe I'm just too cute to be affected."

Guren rolled his eyes but said nothing as he turned to Sayuri. "Well, shall we get going now?"

The younger woman looked at him nervously. "Sir, are you sure it's a good idea to let Yoichi test for a demon weapon right now? Especially one of the black demon series? He may be mentally strong but physically frail."

At hearing his subordinate's protest, Guren raised a brow. "What? Don't you trust my judgment, Sayuri?"

"Of course I do, sir! I'm just worried that Yoichi won't be strong enough to form a contract with a demon."

Guren shrugged his shoulders. "So what? If he's not strong enough, he'll die, it's that simple. The world is a harsh place where only the strong survive. You aren't doing the kid any favors by mothering him like that."

"But demons hate those who are weak in mind or body or both. Yoichi might end up being possessed…" Shinoa, who was also concerned for Yoichi, pointed out.

"Enough, Shinoa," Guren said sharply before turning to Yoichi. "Anyway, you want to join the MDC to avenge your sister who was killed by a vampire, am I correct?"

The brunette boy nodded shyly. "Yes…"

"So are you willing to risk your life for it? Die for it?" the lieutenant colonel pressed.

Yoichi twiddled this thumbs nervously as he hesitated to answer. "My life?"

"If you are unsure, it's not too late to turn back while you still can."

Although he did not express it like Sayuri and Shinoa, Yoichi thought he saw concern in Guren's eyes for him as well.

"I…"

Before Yoichi could answer, he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder and turned to see Yuichiro giving him a look of concern not unlike her guardian's.

"Yoichi, I think it's best for you not to go through with this."

"She's right" Kimizuki agreed. "No matter how I look at you, you are simply too gentle for the harsh life of a soldier.

Yoichi was silent for a moment as his thoughts wandered back to that horrible night, the night the virus struck and his hometown was being invaded by vampires. He and his older sister, Tomoe, were alone at home after finding their parents dead from the virus in the living room. Completely unconcerned for herself, Tomoe shoved her then seven-year old little brother under the bed in his room.

 _ _Yoichi, don't come out from under the bed for any reason…__ she said as she smiled sadly and gently caressed his cheek with her hand before standing up. His sister did not attempt to join him because she knew there wouldn't be enough room under his bed for the both of them.

That was the last time Yoichi would ever see her smile. The last time he would ever see his sister alive before a vampire broke into the room and sucked her dry, dropping her lifeless body to the ground like a rag-doll after he was satisfied.

Fighting back tears as if the memory was too painful for him to recall, Yoichi shook his head fiercely before looking Guren in the eyes.

"No, I want to do this. So that I never lose anyone I care about again!"

Yuichiro frowned when she heard the younger boy's response. __Damn, he's really no different than I am…__ she thought.

Guren smiled as if he expected Yoichi's answer. "Fine then. If that's your decision, so be it."

Turning back to Satoshi who was helping Daisuke and Takeshi to stand, Guren said:

"You three, go to the cafeteria and get some water so that the others will have something to drink when they wake up. And remember what I said: Major General Hiragi will test you in three days. Use the time wisely and train as hard as you can."

Satoshi, who was the first one to finally find his voice, answered "Thank you, sir. We will." Turning to Yuichiro, Kimizuki, and Yoichi, he said: "Good luck, you three. Hopefully, Daisuke, Takeshi, and I will be able to join you in the Moon Demon Company soon."

Yuichiro nodded as she finally managed to catch her breath and relax. "I look forward to it. Good luck to you too, Sato. Same goes for Daisuke and Takeshi."

Before Satoshi could say anything else, everyone heard Guren clear his throat to catch their attention before turning his head towards the door.

Taking his cue, Sayuri, Shinoa, Yuichiro, Kimizuki, and Yoichi followed Guren out of the classroom, allowing him to lead them to another part of the school and through a secret door that led to an underground room that looked very similar to the one where Yuichiro rescued the possessed Yuji at Yamanaka's request.

Except that this room was considerably larger with a more menacing aura. Up to six different weapons rested on alters that were set in circles with unusual patterns drawn into the ground.

Looking around, Yuichiro asked the question that was also on Yoichi and Kimizuki's minds. Sayuri and Shinoa, she surmised, must have been here before since they already have their own demon weapons.

"What is this place?" the ravenette asked her guardian.

Turning around to face her and the others, Guren answered "Why, this room houses the weapons you all covet, the weapons that are vessels to the most powerful demons like my own sword."

"So with these, we can finally fight the vamps?"

"Well, that depends on how strong you are. And if the demons will accept you as their master."

"I see. Well then, there's no time to waste. What do we do?"

"Simple. Look around and choose the weapon you find most appealing and step inside the ritual circle. Once you touch the weapon, the ceremony will begin. If you can conquer the demon, its power will be yours."

 _ _You always make everything sound so easy…__ Yuichiro thought as Guren's words reminded her of the time he took her to the waterfall grounds to train in order to teach her to fight in more difficult and unfavorable conditions.

"And if we fail?" she asked.

"If you fail, you will either be destroyed or possessed by the demon. Should the latter happen, I will have no choice but to dispose of you myself. Either way, you die. In other words, failure is not an option if you want to obtain the power you desire. And live."

Although he tried to sound uncaring, Sayuri and Shinoa could tell that it would greatly pain their superior if he was forced to take his own ward's life. But they also knew that it couldn't be helped. If Yuichiro, Kimizuk,i and Yoichi wanted power to fight the vampires, it was risk they were just going to have to take.

Not turning around to see Kimizuki or Yoichi's reaction to Guren's seemingly cold words, Yuichiro simply said: "I understand" before choosing the weapon that she desired most, an elegant katana similar to Guren's own, and stepping into the ritual circle.

When she finally put her hand on the handle of the sword she coveted, Yuichiro thought she heard her guardian whispering behind her back before she found herself engulfed in a bright green light.

"Good luck, Yuichiro…"

 ** **Footnotes:****

 ** **1\. The Shogunate was**** ****Japanese rule by a sequence of hereditary military dictators paying only nominal allegiance to the emperor from 1192 to 1867, ending with the rule of the Tokugawa Family before the Meiji Restoration. Modern day Japan is ruled by a prime minister and parliament with the emperor as a figurehead, similar to Great Britain. In the OnS universe, Tenri Hiragi would be considered like a shogun since he is the head of the Japanese Imperial Demon Army as well as the country as a whole.****

 ** **2\. In canon, male!Yuu is partly illiterate and only able to write in Hiragana because of the schooling he missed during the time he was a prisoner of the vampires. Even after being rescued by Guren, male!Yuu's literacy does not improve much because he was not motivated to study. Fem!Yuu, however, feels that the more she knows, the better so she works hard to excel at her studies.****

 ** **3\. In Sanguinem, the common vampires actually have no interest in what the livestock children do as long as they donate blood. I just assume the vampires think the kids would be less troublesome if they were ignorant and illiterate.****


	8. Shadows from the Past: Part I

**Disclaimer: I do not own Owari no Seraph (Seraph of the End). I write this for your enjoyment only. This fic is an alternate version of the Shibuya/Shinjuku arc with differences from the original. Please refer to the footnotes at the end. Once again, I would like to thank my beta reader, ResidentialPsycho for her help in making this fic possible. Enjoy and please review!**

 **Chapter 8: Shadows from the Past, Part I**

"You look quite ravishing in a dress, Yuu-chan…"

Startled by the teasing, yet familiar voice, Yuichiro spun around to face her blond orphanage brother, Mikaela. Or more accurately, a demon in his face and form. She also noticed that their surroundings resembled the Hyakuya Orphanage where they had lived together before the apocalypse. However, unlike Yuu herself, Mika had not aged a day since she last saw him.

Because she had left him to die.

Gritting her teeth, the ravenette snarled at the demon who dared to mock her with Mikaela's face and speak to her in his voice.

"Don't bother, demon. You can't fool me, I know you are not Mika. And I am _not_ wearing a dress. This is my school uniform."

The demon chuckled and it was not the innocent laughter of her blond orphanage brother.

"True, but what's the difference, really?" he asked as he stepped closer to Yuichiro and started to walk in a circle around her slowly as if examining her.

"Never mind that" she snapped. "Since I can already see through your tricks, why don't you save us both time and trouble and just submit to me? I need your power to avenge my family, including the _real_ Mikaela."

Instead of answering right away, "Mikaela" grinned and suddenly grabbed Yuichiro by the wrist, causing her to wince from his crushing grip.

"What the hell do you think you're doing!?" she demanded.

After a moment of silence, the demon's eyebrows rose in understanding.

"I see… you saw through my illusion right away because you managed to fend off a lower-ranking myo-o demon. Quite a feat, but still not good enough."

"And why is that?" the ravenette demanded, growing impatient.

"Don't take me lightly just because you managed to shake off that joke of a demon once…" he warned. "Before I can even consider lending you my power, you must tell me why you want it so much."

Yuichiro stared at the creature as if it had just asked her the dumbest question in the world.

"Do you even need to ask? If you have access to my memories, then you should know that I need the power to avenge my family, to avenge Mika!" she snapped.

"Are you sure that is the real reason?" the demon countered.

"What do you mean?"

"Think about it, Yuu. These last four years you spent exerting all that effort into studying and training in the fighting arts. What was it all really for? To avenge us? Or to impress _him?"_

"Him? What are you talking about?"

"Heh, don't play dumb, _Yuu-chan._ You obviously have a thing for this guardian of yours. How unfaithful you are..." the demon mocked as he tried once again to fool Yuichiro into thinking that it was actually Mikaela making the accusation.

And the girl's response was a clear sign that she was starting to waver in her conviction.

"No… Guren and I aren't like that…" she protested.

"True, but don't you wish you were? Tell me, Yuichiro, how do you _really_ feel about your guardian and mentor? Are you in love with him? Now that you are no longer a child, has your desire for revenge waned because of your growing affections for this Guren? I can't lend you my power if avenging your orphanage siblings isn't what you _really_ want. "

"I…"

"Admit it, Yuichiro. You may act like you can't stand Guren most of the time but the truth is you find him very desirable and will do anything to get him to notice you! And I don't mean by just your academic performance and sword-fighting skills."

As if to emphasize his point, the demon in Mikaela's form reached out and touched Yuichiro's long ebony braid.

"Longer hair… female garments… jewelry, perfume, makeup, and nail polish. You would never dress as a girl for me no matter how much I begged you to. But you did it for _him_ , didn't you?"

The ravenette shook her head fiercely. "No! I didn't do it for anyone but myself, because I've finally accepted being a girl and not the boy my parents forced me to be since the day I was born!"

"I find that hard to believe, Yuichiro. But shall we test that theory anyway?" the demon teased almost playfully as it started to lose Mikaela's form and reshaped itself in front of her until it looked exactly like Guren. ***1***

"What the hell…?"

Instead of his usual dark JIDA uniform, the illusion of her mentor was clad in the same white kimono shirt, tan slacks, and knee-high brown leather boots Guren wore the day he took Yuichiro to the waterfall grounds to train when she was fourteen.

The same day he saved her from drowning after she fell into the lake.

Curving his lips in what she imagined to be a seductive smile if he were to ever use it on her, the demon in Guren's form approached Yuichiro and gently ran his hand down her jaw line before taking her by the chin and lifting her face, forcing her to look into his piercing violet eyes.

"Though you would never admit it, you really how these clothes looked on me," he said, his voice becoming a teasing lilt. "And as much as you liked how I looked in this shirt, you liked how I looked even better _without_ it…"

Yuichiro felt her face grow hot at the implication and suspected the demon could sense her subconscious thoughts and feelings towards the man who raised her.

And as much as she wanted to, Yuichiro still couldn't forget the sight of Guren's muscular chest when he pulled her out of the lake and resuscitated her, having been forced to remove his shirt beforehand to keep it from slowing him down underwater.

 _It's true, I always thought Guren was handsome but so what? Lots of guys are, he isn't anything special…_ she tried to assure herself.

"I'm not special? After all the trouble I took to raise you, Yuichiro? That really hurts, you know…" the demon teased, making Yuu realize that he could indeed read her current thoughts as well as her past memories.

Before the ravenette could answer, "Guren" bent over slightly and gently dotted kisses up her neck, making goosebumps rise on her skin until he reached her lips.

"Isn't this what you've always wanted from me, Yuichiro?" he asked in a husky tone. "Have you ever imagined what it would be like to have me embrace you? Kiss you? And as a lover, not a child? With me around, who needs a kid like Mikaela?"

Before he could kiss her on the lips, Yuichiro placed her hands on "Guren's" chest and used all her strength to push him away.

"Stop it!" she shouted.

After catching her breath, she glared at the demon who almost fooled her in Guren's form after failing to do so in Mikaela's.

"Don't ever use my mentor's form to speak or do such things to me, demon! Things I know he would _never_ say or do! I am just a child to him, nothing more. And regardless of how I may feel towards Guren, it does not change the fact that I want your power to avenge Mika, Akane, and the others whom I have _never_ forgotten!"

Instead of being angry, the demon gave her a look of amusement that was more reminiscent of the real Guren Ichinose.

"Very impressive, Yuichiro! It seems that I was wrong about you. And since you intrigue me so much, I will lend you my power so long as your will and conviction stay strong. But if I detect any weakness on your part for even a moment, I will make your body my own. Have we got a deal?"

Relieved that the demon was finally willing to submit to her, Yuichiro nodded. "Deal."

"Very well, the contract is made then…" the demon said as it finally reshaped itself into its true form which looked to Yuichiro like a young pre-teen girl with horns and long purple hair clad in a flowing white, open-backed dress with a black chest piece.

Confused, Yuichiro gave the demon a wide-eyed stare. "You're a girl?" she asked in astonishment.

For a moment, Yuichiro thought she saw the demon's cheeks grow a little red as if in embarrassment before giving her a brief scowl.

"Uh, no, Miss Hyakuya. Despite how I look, I am a male." ***2***

Yuichiro blinked as she allowed her eyes to wander to the slit in the demon's dress to his bare legs and feet which she thought looked surprisingly shapely and feminine for a boy, enough to put her own to shame.

"Well, I'm flattered that you think I have pretty legs but let's get down to business, shall we?" the boy-demon asked as he rolled his eyes in annoyance before offering Yuichiro his hand. "My name is Asuramaru. If you are ever in need of my power, don't hesitate to call for me."

Upon realizing that Asuramaru had read her thoughts once again, Yuichiro blushed but took the hand he offered.

"Thank you… I think…"

"Good. And since you are now my mistress, I should probably share this piece of information with you."

"Information?"

"Yes… you may appear as any normal teenage girl but I can sense that part of you isn't human though I can't quite put my finger on what that may be. Could it be that you've been altered in some way or born like that? Or perhaps a little of both?"

"I'm not sure I know what you mean…"

"It's all right, even I can't explain it. However, I will say this: though you may be at war with the vampires and require the help of your human allies, don't be so quick to place all of your faith in them. Believe me when I say mankind is more devious than demons and vampires combined. Especially that mentor of yours; don't let your feelings for him cloud your better judgment when the time comes."

Yuichiro was about to question her new demon further but he did not give her the chance.

"You mustn't dwell here too long; your friends might be needing your help soon. So open your eyes, Yuichiro Hyakuya!"

 **SSSSSS**

Yuichiro gasped as her eyes flew open and she found herself lying on her back in the middle of the ritual circle she entered to pick up the sword that captured her fancy. Which was now in her right hand and ready to wield if needed.

Sitting up, the ravenette looked around and saw Guren as well as Sayuri and Shinoa giving what she thought to be looks of relief that she had passed her test and obtained her own cursed gear, something far superior to the axe she considered taking for her own after rescuing the possessed Yuji less than two weeks ago.

"How do you feel, Yuu?" Sayuri asked gently as she and Shinoa approached Yuichiro to help her to her feet while Guren remained where he was and merely looked at them with his ever-searching violet eyes.

"I feel fine. Great, in fact, now that I finally have my own cursed gear!" the ravenette joked before she looked up and caught sight of her guardian and released a soft gasp as she remembered the illusion Asuramaru pulled on her by taking his form.

Seeing Yuichiro's bewildered expression, Guren found himself slightly confused and wondered what it was she saw in her illusion that would make her look at him that way. But he knew that now was not the best time to ask since there were still two other MDC cadets who were lying in the middle of their ritual circles in deep sleep and facing their own inner demons.

"Glad that you made it, Yuu" Guren said as he cleared his throat. "However, I'm going to have to ask you to be patient and wait for Yoichi and Kimizuki. As you can see, they're not quite done yet."

Yuichiro looked around and saw that the two boys she started the test with were lying on their bellies, their own hands gripping their weapons of choice as they shifted uncomfortably in their "sleep".

"I wonder what they're dreaming about?" she breathed.

"No doubt something similar to what you were" Sayuri answered. "Though the details may differ, all MCD candidates must relive their most traumatic memories as well face as certain people from their past and conquer them before they can obtain their cursed gear."

"I see… So all that's left for us to do is wait until they wake up?"

"Yes."

 **SSSSSS**

"Nii-san, what are you thinking? It's late so why don't you go to bed already?"

Kimzuki released a soft gasp when he heard the familiar voice of his younger sister, Mirai, calling out to him as she laid in bed. Looking down, he found that his hands were smaller than he remembered and that he was no longer in the demon ceremonial chamber but his old home in Kyoto, sitting on the leather window seat in Mirai's bedroom and looking out the window. Not even a week after the apocalypse, he barely had time to get over the shock of his parents' deaths before his hands became full with caring for his younger sister who contracted the virus despite being a child.

The only logical explanation the pink-haired boy could come up with for his sister's ailment was that Mirai had always been frail and sickly, the complete opposite of himself who had always been strong, healthy, and robust. While Shiho Kimizuki was the pride and joy of his parents, deep down, he always suspected that they were ashamed of Mirai for being born weak and wished they never had her.

But despite what their parents might have thought, Kimizuki treasured his younger sister and always did his best to be a good brother to her since she was his only sibling. During happier times, he would always walk with Mirai to school, help her with her homework, and cook for her whenever their parents worked late.

But now their mother and father were gone. The night the virus struck, Kimizuki, who had been helping Mirai with her homework in her room, suddenly heard cars crashing and people screaming outside. To keep his sister calm, Kimizuki ordered Mirai to stay in her room while he went downstairs to check on their parents only to find to his horror that they were both dead. His father's lifeless corpse was sprawled on the living room floor, indicating that he had died just as soon as he came home from work. When he went into the kitchen, Kimizuki found his mother's corpse on the floor in front of the stove, hinting that she had dropped dead while she was cooking for the family.

Not knowing what else to do, the pink-haired boy ran back upstairs and was about to call 911 when he found Mirai collapsed on the floor as well. But unlike their parents, she was still alive and conscious though too weak to move. As if that wasn't shocking enough, Kimizuki was also horrified to find nobody answering when he dialed 911 on the phone in his parents' room. Minutes later, he heard a loud banging at his door and when he answered it, found several of his young friends from around the neighborhood begging him to allow them refuge in his home. From the look on their faces, Kimizuki knew that their parents were dead too.

Over the next two weeks, Kimizuki, Mirai, as well as several of the neighborhood children hid from the vampires and other monsters roaming the city at night by locking themselves in his home. But now food was running short and soon they would have no choice but to leave the neighborhood if they wanted to survive.

As the most intelligent student at their school, Kimizuki knew his friends looked to him as their leader and trusted him to lead them someplace where they would be safe. But never did the pink-haired boy imagine that they would be caught up in an apocalyptic crisis like this and even he found himself at a loss as to what he should do or where he could take his sister and friends, even if he could drive and knew the surrounding areas well. For against his mother's wishes, Kimizuki's father had secretly taught him how to drive and read maps to find his way around for emergencies.

But that skill, remarkable as it was, would do him no good if he could not find a safe to take Mirai and his friends. And that's assuming there _were_ any places safe from monsters and vampires.

Upon hearing his sister call out for him, Kimizuki briefly forgot his troubles for a moment and pulled a chair from the nearby desk to sit by her bedside.

"It's ok, Mirai, I'm not tired. I was just thinking about where I'm going to take you and the others when we finally have to leave this place" he answered gently. "More importantly, how are you feeling?"

"A little bit better, just tired…" she answered weakly.

His brow raising in concern, Kimizuki gently placed his hand on his sister's forehead which was hot to the touch. Remembering what their mother would do whenever either of them fell sick, he asked:

"Would you like something to eat? I can go downstairs and have some chicken soup ready in a few minutes" he offered, purposely neglecting to tell Mirai that the cupboard full of canned foods their late parents had stored for emergencies was almost empty.

"Nii-san… why do you try so hard to pretend you care about me? You know our parents wished I was never born. But now that they're gone, you can just leave me here to fend for myself and go on with your life. Isn't that what you've always wanted?"

Kimizuki's eyes widened at his sister's unexpected words. "What? How could you say that? Of course, I care about you and I'm going to do everything I can to make sure we both survive!"

As if Mirai's words weren't shocking enough, she grinned and her innocent expression twisted until her face looked almost unrecognizable to him.

"You don't really mean that, Nii-san. Because I hear you crying at night, about how you hate being depended on by your friends _and_ me. You may try to act like a good brother but deep down, you're just as selfish as the rest of them and wish I would just die so that you can finally enjoy your life without the burden of caring for me."

"No, that isn't true…" he protested. Though Kimizuki truly did love Mirai, deep down, he knew there _was_ some truth to what she was saying.

 _But how could she possibly know?_ He thought frantically. _I've always made sure she was asleep and stayed as quiet as I could! Unless…_

"I see…" Kimizuki said as he forced himself to calm down. "You're the demon, aren't you? You must be because I know my sister would never say what you just did."

"Bingo, we have a winner here!" the demon impersonating Mirai laughed as she dropped the sickly act, sat upright on her bed, and looked Kimizuki in the eye.

"I was wondering when you were going to catch on, Shiho Kimizuki. As you suspect, I can read your thoughts as well as your darkest secrets. I wonder what your real sister would think if she knew the truth?"

Clenching his fists, the pink-haired boy tried to keep a lid on his temper for they both knew the demon in his sister's form had struck a nerve with her taunt. He knew that giving in to his anger was exactly what the creature wanted.

"Shut up, you bastard!" he snarled, his voice calm but still tight with anger. "If you can read my thoughts and feelings, then you would know that I truly love my sister and would do _anything_ for her!"

"That may be. But even _you_ can't deny that you share your parents' frustration with Mirai from time to time because she was born weak and sickly, making her dependent on you when they're not around. And now that your parents are gone and Mirai has contracted the virus, she is completely dependent on you for survival. Quite unfair, isn't it?"

"Stop it!"

"You really don't want to join the Demon Army and risk your life fighting the vampires, do you? The only reason you try so hard to get into the MDC is that you know it's the only chance to save your sister's life. If she didn't exist, you can just live a normal, happy, and safe life within the walls…"

"I'm warning you, demon…"

"Admit it, Shiho. Though you love your sister, deep down, you still blame her for not being able to do the things you wanted as you were growing up because all your time was being spent studying and caring for her. The things you wanted to do with your friends, the girls you wanted to date, the places you wanted to go, all of which you couldn't because of _her._ So in the end, you're really no different from mommy and daddy; you too, wished Mirai was never born!"

Knowing that she was absolutely right except for the last part, the pink-haired boy finally lost it and subconsciously reached down the side of his legs for two large kitchen knives that seem to have appeared out of nowhere before charging towards the demon who dared to mock him with his sister's face and form, intending to tear her to shreds.

"I'll fucking kill you!" he screamed.

 **SSSSSS**

As soon as they heard Kimizuki's enraged shriek, everybody in the demon ceremonial chamber jumped in surprise, even Guren. The only one who took no notice was Yoichi who was still comatose in his own ritual circle.

Worried, Yuichiro turned to Sayuri, Shinoa, and Guren. "What's happening to him?" she demanded.

"He's fighting the demon in his subconscious for control" her guardian answered calmly. "I know you're concerned but you can't help him, Yuichiro; this is a battle only Kimizuki alone can fight and win if he wants the demon to submit to him."

"And if he can't?"

"He'll die. I already told you this and Kimizuki knows it too. He already accepted the possibility before he agreed to undergo the test. Just leave him be, that's the best thing you can do for him" Guren said calmly, indicating that he had seen this kind of reaction from other MDC candidates many times in the past.

Although she had known the pink-haired boy for only a short time, Yuichiro still didn't like the idea of leaving him to fend for himself but she knew her guardian was right. The creature Kimizuki was fighting was inside his subconscious and not in the real world where she could just rush to his side and help him fend off. Still…

Yuichiro looked like she wanted to say something else when she saw Sayuri's eyes widen and point over her shoulder.

"Yuu, look out! Behind you!"

As soon as Yuichiro turned around, she saw Kimizuki charging towards her with two swords that were wider than her own katana in his hands, no doubt they were the weapons his demon was bound to. Out of instinct, Yuu quickly withdrew her newly acquired demon weapon to defend herself as Guren had taught her. ***3***

"Is this normal too?" Yuichiro asked through gritted teeth as she fended off the pink-haired boy's sword blows one after the other. When his face was close enough, the ravenette could see that Kimizuki's eyes were open but appeared glassy. His pupils were slitted and cat-like and he had two small horns protruding from his temples.

Sayuri looked about to pull a magic talisman from her uniform pocket to come to Yuichiro's aid when Guren reached over and stilled her hand.

"No, leave her be. Yuichiro is strong, I know she can handle this. You won't be helping her in the long run if you intervene every time she runs into trouble, Sayuri."

Although she worried for the girl whom she helped her superior raise, Sayuri knew Guren was right. Shinoa, on the other hand, tugged on his sleeve to catch his attention.

"Sir, I know you told Yuichiro to leave Kimizuki alone but this changes everything! She has no choice but to defend herself now that he is attacking her. While she's at it, she can try to make him snap out of his trance!"

Guren nodded. While he and Shinoa were often at odds with each other, this was one thing he could agree with her on. Turning to his ward, he called out to her.

"Yuu, listen to me! Kimizuki isn't totally awake and is unaware that he's attacking you! He thinks he's fighting the demon in his subconscious so what you need to do is make him snap out of it!"

"And just how do I do that?!" Yuu snapped without turning around.

The ravenette knew she was at a slight disadvantage because Kimizuki was wielding two weapons against her, not just one. And the fact that he swung a sword with his left hand just as well as his right made her realize the pink-haired boy was ambidextrous as well.

"Think, Yuichiro! Isn't that what I've always taught you to do!?"

Although frustrated, Yuichiro was not really surprised that Guren would say such a thing. Since he took her in, the older man had always encouraged her to be as independent as possible. Perhaps this was another way he chose to test her even though she already successfully obtained her own demon weapon.

And as much as she hated losing battles, Yuichiro hated looking bad or weak in front of her guardian and mentor even more.

"Fine!" she shouted. "I can save Kimizuki myself without anyone's help!"

As the trio continued to watch Yuichiro duel with the possessed Kimizuki while holding their breaths and trying their best not to move, Shinoa found herself turning in the direction of the sleeping Yoichi and hoped that he was faring better with his own demon. So far, Kimizuki had shown no interest in attacking the younger brunette boy as he slept so long as Yuichiro had his full attention. But the purple-haired girl knew that would change as soon as Yoichi woke up.

And depending on how his own test went, the brunette boy could be a potential ally or an additional enemy for Yuichiro to fight…

 **Footnotes:**

 **1\. In canon, Asuramaru takes only Mikaela's form to test male!Yuu. In my AU, he takes on Guren's form as well because he knows fem!Yuu has semi-romantic feelings for him and wants to see if her desire for revenge has waned because of them.**

 **2\. For comedic purposes, I've decided to have fem!Yuu mistake Asuramaru for a girl :D**

 **3\. In canon, only Yoichi gets possessed by his demon. In my AU, I thought it would be interesting to have Kimizuki possessed as well, forcing Yuichiro to learn teamwork by accepting Shinoa's help.**


	9. Shadows from the Past: Part II

**Disclaimer: I do not own Owari no Seraph (Seraph of the End). I write this for your enjoyment only. This story is an alternate version of the Shibuya/Shinjuku arc with differences from the original; please refer to the footnotes at the end. Once again, I would like to thank my beta reader, ResidentialPsycho, for her help in making this fic possible. Enjoy and please review!**

 **Chapter 9: Shadows from the Past, Part II**

"Tomoe, I'm scared, what are we going to do?" eight-year old Yoichi whimpered as he clung to his eleven-year old sister in fear.

It was the night of the apocalypse and Yoichi and Tomoe had just returned home from visiting their next-door neighbor when they saw cars crashing and people screaming in the streets as they collapsed from the virus. When they went to search for their parents, the young brother and sister pair found them dead in the living room just like the people who died on the streets outside.

Before they could even have time to grieve, Tomoe heard someone breaking into the house through the back door and sensing that it was an intruder with malicious intent, she quickly grabbed Yoichi by the wrist and forced him to follow her upstairs to his room, locking the door after they were both inside.

Even so, the young girl realized that this wouldn't be enough so thinking quickly, she quickly shoved her little brother under his bed.

"Wait, Tomoe, what are you doing!?"

Instead of answering, Tomoe gently caressed Yoichi's cheek and said: "Don't come out from under the bed for any reason!"

Before Yoichi could protest, he heard the sound of the door being kicked open and heard someone walking in, giving Tomoe no time to find someplace to hide herself since the bed was not big enough for both of them to hide under.

The brunette boy's eyes widened and he was paralyzed with fear as he saw the booted feet of the intruder from beneath the bed approach his sister and lifted her off the ground. Before she could even scream, Yoichi heard the sickening sound of fangs piercing flesh and had to clap a hand over his mouth to keep from screaming in terror as he saw Tomoe's blood splatter on the floor before a voice that sounded like it came from outside the room, call out.

"Hey, Lacus, quit fooling around; we just got a call from headquarters and should be heading back. I don't think I need to tell you that we should also be collecting livestock, not snacking on them; I'm sure the queen would be highly suspicious if you and I were to come back empty-handed."

"Fine. I promise not to snitch any more drinks until we get back to Sanguinem so there, are you happy, Rene?" the vampire named Lacus answered as he dropped Tomoe's lifeless corpse to the floor which landed right in front of Yoichi.

Rene sighed. "Never mind that, let's just get going before the queen chews us out for being late."

After the two vampires left, Yoichi stared at his dead sister in silence before he found his voice again.

"Tomoe?"

After a moment of silence, "Tomoe" opened her eyes, which were the same shade of olive-green as his own and gave him a distorted smile that was totally uncharacteristic of the sister he loved.

Grabbing Yoichi and pulling him out from under the bed before forcing him to stand, she looked him straight in the eye and said:

"No, dummy. Your sister is long dead. She died because of you. Because you were too cowardly and weak to protect her."

Like Kimizuki before him, Yoichi was able to catch on quickly. "I see… you're not really Tomoe but the demon inside that bow I picked up, are you?"

"Very good. You're smarter than you look, Yoichi Satome, I'll give you that."

Instead of getting angry that the demon would mock him with his sister's form like Kimizuki, Yoichi merely laughed nervously.

"It's not very nice of you to imitate my sister, you know…"

The demon scoffed. "Did you expect demons to be nice? I take back what I said about you being smarter than you look. You tell everyone you want to join the MDC to avenge your sister yet at the same time you hate fighting and conflict. You are much too gentle, innocent, and pure-all qualities I despise. You wouldn't make a suitable master at all."

"No, that isn't true, I _do_ want to avenge my sister!" Yoichi protested.

"Do you really?" the demon mocked as she suddenly grabbed Yoichi, who was now a sixteen-year-old boy again, by the throat and pinned him to the wall. "You may grieve for your lost sister but deep down, you're glad you survived, even at the expense of her life. Admit, Yoichi, you _sacrificed_ Tomoe to save your own skin!"

The brunette boy brought his hands to "Tomoe's" wrist and tried to force her to release him but the demon could tell that it was a weak attempt; she knew he was physically stronger than that.

"How pathetic! Even a mouse can put up a better fight than that! If you aren't even willing to fight for your own life, how can you fight to protect the lives of others _and_ avenge your sister? You can't have your cake and eat it too! But have no fear, just give me your body and I'll get your revenge for you!"

As she said this, the demon laughed with glee and released Yoichi's throat before grabbing him by the shoulders and pulling him close so she can sink her fangs into his neck, her face completely distorted until she looked nothing like his beloved sister.

When he finally felt "Tomoe's" sharp fangs sink into his neck, the brunette boy's eyes widened as he let out a blood-curdling scream…

 **SSSSSS**

Yoichi gasped as his eyes flew open. Like Kimizuki before him, the boy's pupils were cat-like and two small horns protruded from his temples.

Shinoa, who had been keeping an eye on Yoichi while Yuichiro was fighting Kimizuki, called out to Guren and Sayuri.

"Sir, Yoichi's finally awake!"

Turning his head in the brunette boy's direction, Guren frowned with disappointment when he saw that Yoichi fared no better than Kimizuki in trying to conquer his demon.

Sighing, he placed a hand on his head and muttered. "I suppose having one out of three pass is better than none..."

"Now what are we going to do?!" Sayuri asked frantically as she shot a glance towards Yuichiro who was still trying to fend off the possessed Kimizuki.

"We have no choice. Yuu, listen to me, Yoichi didn't make it either! You may have to eliminate him _and_ Kimizuki if they don't wake up!" Guren called to his ward who still had her back to him.

Startled, Shinoa glared at her superior. "What? You must be joking, sir! There's no way Yuichiro can fight both of them alone!" she protested while making a gesture towards the dueling pair, one of whom was possessed by his demon.

"She's fought multiple attackers before, Shinoa."

"This is different and you know it!"

"So what will you do, Miss Hiragi? If you're so concerned for Yuichiro, why don't you do the dirty work and kill the boys yourself to spare her the burden of a guilty conscience?"

Taking the hint, the purple-haired girl summoned her own demon weapon, a dark, elegant scythe and prepared to rush to Yuichiro's aid. Having known Guren since she was a young child, Shinoa could tell when her superior said one thing and meant another. While ordering Sayuri to stay put, he was actually giving Shinoa the green light to assist her friend under the guise of eliminating the boys.

Rushing towards Yoichi, Shinoa brandished her scythe, intending to block him from interfering in Yuichiro's and Kimizuki's duel but he anticipated her move and jumped towards the ceiling, hiding behind one of the gargoyle statues overlooking the demon ceremonial chamber.

"How delightful!" Yoichi giggled. "Five puny humans just ripe for the picking! I think I'll start with those two fighting over there since they're too busy being at each other's throats to even notice me!"

Although nobody in the chamber could see Yoichi, Yuichiro's sharp hearing picked up the sound of a bowstring being drawn from behind her though she did not dare to take her eyes off Kimzuki for even a second. For the first time, the ravenette found herself truly at a loss as to what to do to defend herself against a second attacker.

As she tried to think of a way to distance herself from Kimizuki so she can face Yoichi, who was now possessed as well, Yuichiro heard an arrow being released and flying towards her. The girl knew that if she did not move aside, the arrow would hit her but if she did, it might hit Kimizuki instead. Either way, someone was going to die or at best, be seriously injured.

Thinking quickly, Yuichiro lashed out with her right leg and managed to kick Kimizuki away, hoping it would buy her some time to fend off Yoichi before he could recover enough to attack again. But when Yuichiro finally turned around, she saw to her surprise that Shinoa had beaten her to it, using her scythe to deflect Yoichi's arrow and keep it from hitting either her or Kimizuki.

As annoying as she may have found Shinoa in the past, Yuichiro found herself relieved and grateful that the other girl had chosen to step in and cover her back. ***1***

"Thanks, Shinoa, I owe you one!" she exclaimed.

The purple-haired girl grinned before turning around, her back touching Yuichiro's. "You're welcome, Yuu, but this isn't over yet! We still have to find a way to make the boys wake up so you take care of Kimizuki while I handle Yoichi!"

"Right!"

Leaving Yoichi to Shinoa, Yuichiro turned back to face the pink-haired boy who had just managed to get back on his feet and charge at her again. When their blades clashed once more, the ravenette tried to reach out to him in the only way she could think of.

"Kimizuki! Please, listen to me, I know you're in there! Whatever you're seeing, it's not real! The demon is using your anger, frustration, and guilt to manipulate you and you need to snap out of it! Think of your sister! What will happen to her if you die here? Mirai needs you so wake up!"

Although the pink-haired boy did not cease his attacks right away, Yuichiro could tell that her words must be getting to him because he started to falter and hesitate more between each blow he sent her way. Deep in his subconscious mind, Kimizuki thought he heard a familiar feminine voice that was neither Mirai's or the demon's speaking to him.

 _That's right…_ he thought as he slowed down his attacks against the demon in his mind. _This is all a test, I was such a fool not to see it sooner!_

"What's the matter, Kimizuki?" "Mirai" taunted. "I'm right here! So do what you've been meaning to do and just kill me already! Kill your sister and all your problems will be solved!"

The pink haired boy shook his head as he lowered kitchen knives he had attempted to kill the demon with, which were really his twin swords in the waking world.

"No…I understand now" he said calmly. "My sister needs me. While I may get frustrated from time to time, it does not change the fact that I love Mirai and want to save her. Your tricks won't work anymore so give your power to me, demon!"

Now that Kimizuki saw through her illusion, the demon pouted. "Drat… you're stronger than I thought. Very well, I'll accept your victory and lend you my power. But if you ever falter in your conviction, even for a second, your body is mine. Deal?"

The pink-haired boy grinned. "Deal."

"Good. My name is Kiseki-o. Call for me whenever you're in need of my power. Now open your eyes, Shiho Kimiziki!"

As soon as their contract was completed, the illusion faded away and Kimizuki found himself back in the demon ceremonial chamber and saw Yuichiro standing in front of him with her sword drawn, making him realize that he had been attacking her in the real world under the illusion of attacking Kiseki-o.

When she saw that the pink-haired boy appeared to be back to his normal self, Yuichiro lowered her own sword and asked:

"Kimizuki, are you ok?"

"Yeah…" he answered as he placed a hand on his head and closed his eyes for a moment. "Thanks, Yuu. For reminding me why I'm doing all this."

Yuichiro smiled. "It's good to have you back, Kimizuki. But we still have Yoichi to worry about."

Kimizuki was startled. "What?"

"Yoichi's possessed, same as you were. We have to find a way to bring him back. And that means assisting Shinoa!"

"Dammit!" Kimizuki cursed as he raised his twin blades again. Looking over Yuu's shoulder, he could see Shinoa locked in her own duel with the possessed brunette boy, deflecting one arrow after another while painstakingly trying to avoid harming him.

"Hold on, Shinoa, we're coming!" Yuu cried as she rushed to her friend's aid. Now that they had Kimizuki back on their side, it should make things a lot easier or so she hoped.

Sayuri, who had been watching the two duels in silence, stole a quick glance in Guren's direction and saw that he was shifting uncomfortably on his feet while palming the hilt of his sword nervously. Though he had told her to stay put while forcing himself to do the same, Sayuri could tell that this was just as nerve-wrecking to Guren as it was to herself.

For unlike Kimizuki, who was more strong-minded, Yoichi was just as frail mentally as he was physically for, despite their best efforts, neither Yuichiro, Kimizuki, nor Shinoa could seem to bring him back.

"What do you think's happening inside his subconscious?" Yuu asked Shinoa as she assisted her friend in deflecting Yoichi's arrows.

"I'm not exactly sure" she answered. "But have a strong feeling that he's reliving his sister's death and being tormented by his guilt for not being able to save her."

"So that's it…" Yuu murmured as she sheathed her sword. "It looks like we're going to have to take a leap of faith. Shinoa, I need you and Kimizuki to step back and let me take care of this."

"What? Are you nuts?!" the pink-haired boy demanded as he stepped in front of Yuichiro with his twin swords crossed to protect her in case Yoichi tried to take another shot at them. "Take your sword back out or he'll kill you!"

The ravenette shook her head. "No… please get out of my way, Kimizuki. I need both you and Shinoa to trust me on this."

The pink-haired boy opened his mouth to protest when he felt Shinoa's hand on his shoulder.

"Yuichiro's right. We need to trust her."

Though Kimizuki strongly disliked what Shinoa was proposing, he knew that they had little choice since none of the tactics they've tried so far have worked in bringing Yoichi back.

"Fine… but if something goes wrong, I'm stepping in no matter what you say, Shinoa. That goes for you too, Miss Hyakuya."

Yuichiro grinned. "That won't be necessary. But thanks for the offer" she said as she clapped a hand on Kimizuki's shoulder before walking past him to confront the possessed Yoichi who had drawn back his bowstring to shoot again.

As everyone else in the room watched, the ravenette tried to reach out to Yoichi, hoping that he was still somewhere in there.

"Yoichi…" she began gently. "I won't harm you no matter what. Because you're one of the purest souls I've ever met and you would never harm your friends; such a vile act is completely against your nature."

To this, the demon in Yoichi's body laughed, distorting the younger boy's innocent face with malice.

"How naive you are, girl! Your friend is gone and his body is mine so why don't you just die already?"

Kimizuki and Shinoa tightened their grip on their weapons in case Yoichi were to fire at Yuu but found to their surprise that the younger boy's hands faltered as if he were hesitating to fire. Yuichiro noticed it too and saw it as a sign that Yoichi could indeed hear her.

"Yoichi, I know you're in there! No matter what anyone says, you're stronger than you think! You can do this, Yoi! Come back to us and we'll beat the fangs together!"

Yuichiro bit her lip as she saw Yoichi's hands start to shake a little harder, indicating that he was still struggling to conquer the demon inside his subconscious. The ravenette had already done the best she could and did not know what else she could say to wake her friend up.

Fortunately, Yuichiro didn't have to say anymore before her guardian took over.

"Dammit, Yoichi, are you going to keep running away and watch other innocent people like your sister get killed again?! Wake up and face your fears like a real man!" Guren shouted.

Though he may have sounded harsh, Yuichiro had to admit that this was probably the push Yoichi needed to conquer his demon. Having more life experience than his ward, the lieutenant colonel was smart and sensible enough to know that sometimes a combination of gentle coaxing AND harsh demands were required to get results.

And he was right.

 _They're both right…Yuu and Guren. I can't keep running nor can I protect anyone if I'm not willing to fight or put myself in harm's way._ Yoichi thought as he brought his hands up and used all his strength to force the demon that was sucking his blood away from his neck and spun her around, slamming her against the wall until their positions were reversed.

"I won't run anymore…" he said calmly as he tightened his grip the demon's shoulders. "Yes, I know Tomoe died protecting me. I know there was nothing I could have done to save her. But I also know she would want me to go on with my life and be happy. And so, I will honor her memory by doing everything I can to protect and help others. And to do that, I need your power so give it to me, demon!"

"Shit, I don't believe it! How can a weakling like you possibly fight me!" the demon cursed before finally acknowledging defeat. "Fine, you win for now. I'll lend you my power, Yoichi Satome. But make no mistake, should you ever revert back to the spineless wimp you were, your body is mine, got that?"

"Fine by me!"

"Good. Now wake up, dummy!"

Yoichi gasped as his horns vanished and his eyes reverted back to their normal state. But not before he released the arrow he had originally aimed at Yuichiro.

Fortunately for both of them, Yoichi had subconsciously shifted his position slightly out of his desire not to harm Yuichiro and the arrow flew past her shoulder, just slightly nicking her skin before hitting the wall behind her and vanishing.

Now that he was completely awake, Yoichi dropped his bow and ran into Yuichiro's arms while bawling his eyes out when he realized what he had almost done.

"I'm sorry!" he cried. "I almost killed you!"

Taking pity on the younger boy, Yuichiro gently patted the back of his head and ruffled his soft wavy hair like she did when they first met.

"There, there you silly goose. I'm fine as you can see. It's good to have you back, Yoi" she teased.

Although relieved that all three of his subordinates had finally succeeded in conquering their demons, Guren found himself scowling when he saw Yoichi hug Yuichiro too tightly for his comfort. And for the second time. Clearing his throat, he once again moved to part them.

"Ok, ok, now what did I tell you brats about too much PDA? I'll puke if you get snot all over each other."

Sayuri and Shinoa, who had also witnessed the entire scene as well as Kimizuki, could not help stifling their laughter.

"Now, now, sir, what's the harm in letting these two have their moment? They earned it." the purple-haired girl teased.

Guren rolled his eyes. "Never mind that, brat." Turning to Yuichiro, Yoichi, and Kimizuki, he said: "You all did great today. I hope the three of you will take this a valuable learning experience in teamwork. Especially, you, Yuichiro. You probably wouldn't have been able to save Kimizuki or Yoichi had Shinoa not covered your back."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. I finally get how important it is to work as a team. You happy now?"

"With you? Considering how long you've been unable to get teamwork into that thick skull of yours, I'm absolutely ecstatic" the older man answered as he rolled his eyes towards the ceiling again, his expression almost humorous before he became serious again.

"In any case, I want you all to forget about something as petty as revenge. Your new purpose is to protect humanity and honor the memories of those who couldn't be saved."

Ignoring the reaction of everyone else in the room, Guren gently placed his hand under Yuichiro's chin and lifted her face up, forcing her to look into his eyes just as the demon impersonating him in her illusion did.

"That goes for you too, Yuichiro. Forget your old family. The people here today are your new family so live for them and stop chasing shadows from the past that will forever elude you."

Though she did not argue, Guren knew his words hit Yuichiro very hard when he saw her frown and reach for the heart-shaped locket around her neck and closed her fist around it, making him narrow his eyes in distaste. He never told her much he despised that trinket because he thought it held her down to the past like an anchor.

"Anyway", Guren continued, "Now that you all finally have your own demon weapons, it's time to put them to good use; I'll be sending you to the front lines tomorrow."

Sayuri raised a brow. "Sir, you don't mean…"

"Yes, Sayuri. If this was peacetime, I would gladly give the kids a few days to recover from their test but we're at war now and there's no time to waste; the vamps have already made their move and have their sights set on Shinjuku. We can't let them re-take it or it will put all our effort into Shinjuku's liberation three years ago to waste."

"Yes, sir, I understand," the younger woman said as she glanced the newly ordained MDC members.

Though she had never been one to question her superior's actions or words, at least not too often, Sayuri thought Guren had been a little too harsh in telling Yuichiro to forget her orphanage brothers and sisters. She knew Guren especially disliked Mikaela in particular since his expression would always darken whenever Yuichiro mentioned the blond boy or whenever he looked upon her locket for more than a few moments. ***2***

But Sayuri knew there was no time to dwell on that. Like Guren said, there were more far more pressing matters at hand.

 **SSSSSS**

"Hey, Mika, it's not good to fall asleep now, you might miss an important announcement."

The blond vampire shot his purple-haired companion a look of annoyance from his seat on the cargo jet. Out of sheer "luck", Lacus had winded up sitting in the seat across from him along with Rene who, ironically, _was_ asleep.

"I'm perfectly awake, thank you" Mika shot back.

Lacus smirked. "Really? In that case, are you aware that the Demon Army may attack us in the districts of Ikebukuro, Shibuya, and Shinjuku?"

"Yes, I heard it all. You might want to tell that to Rene, though."

"No need" the raven-haired vampire spoke up without opening his eyes. "I already knew. Despite what you might think, I _do_ pay attention at briefings."

"Oh, that's good. Saves me a lot of trouble, then." Lacus said coolly as he placed his cheek in his hand.

Much to Mika's relief, the other vampire finally shut his trap and said no more, leaving him to sit out the rest of their trip in silence along with the other common vampires who were lost in their own thoughts.

Which was usually where their next drink of blood was coming from. And when.

Such was the price of being a vampire with superior strength and reflexes to humans. And while he too, craved blood like all the others, Mikaela Hyakuya had a stronger desire to keep it at bay.

And that was to find his long-lost orphanage sister, Yuichiro Hyakuya.

 **Footnotes:**

 **1\. In canon, Shinoa takes out her scythe but does not actively participate in male!Yuu's and Kimizuki's fight against demon-possessed Yoichi. In my AU, Shinoa actively assists fem!Yuu by fighting Yoichi so that she could face Kimizuki without fear of being shot.**

 **2\. In canon, Sayuri is not present during male!Yuu's, Kimizuki's, and Yoichi's test for their cursed gear. For my AU, she is out of concern for fem!Yuu whom she helped Guren raise.**


	10. An Old Friend and New Rival

**Disclaimer: I do not own Owari no Seraph (Seraph of the End). I write this for your enjoyment only. This story is an alternate version of the Shibuya/Shinjuku arc so there will be differences from the original; please refer to the footnotes at the end. Once again, I would like to thank my beta reader, ResidentialPsycho, for her help in making this fic possible. Enjoy and please review!**

 **Chapter 10: An Old Friend and New Rival**

 **October 31, 2020**

" _Yuu-chan, why did you leave me behind? I gave my life for you and now you've forgotten me…"_

" _No…I have never forgotten you, Mika. How could I? I love you!"_

" _But your heart is swaying towards another…"_

" _No…it's not like that…"_

" _Is it, Yuu-chan? Your guardian is a fine man… a grown man, something I will never be…"_

 _Yuichiro could almost feel her eyes tearing up when she looked upon the face of her lost orphanage brother, the twelve-year old boy who would be forever frozen in time because he sacrificed himself to protect her._

" _That may be, but Guren does not see me as anything but a child!"_

" _Are you sure? He protects you, guides you, and takes such good care of you…"_

" _Because that's what a parent is supposed to do!"_

" _You are deluding yourself, Yuu-chan. Not once have you ever thought of him as your father. And you are most certainly not his daughter."_

 _Yuichiro found herself unable to argue because she knew everything Mika said was true. The age gap between Guren and herself was not great enough for them to be parent and child._

" _I will not deny that, Mika. I care for Guren, but my feelings for you haven't changed. And they never will…"_

" _You cannot love a ghost, a shadow from the past forever, Yuu-chan…"_

" _Then what will you have me do, Mika?"_

 _As if in answer, the blond boy smiled, stepped behind Yuichiro, and wrapped his arms around her waist._

" _Just submit to me, my love…" he murmured as he hugged her from behind. "Do that and all will be forgiven…"_

 _As soon as those words left "Mikaela's" mouth, Yuichiro immediately spun around and angrily pushed him away._

" _Stop it, Asuramaru!" she snarled._

 _The demon chuckled as he finally reverted back to his true form. "Very good, Yuichiro. What gave me away?"_

" _The real Mika wouldn't have any idea who Guren is. And he would never call me 'my love'!"_

" _He might have if he lived to be your age, Yuichiro… But he didn't because you left him to die…"_

" _There was nothing I could have done for him. I know that so don't you dare try and guilt-trip me because it won't work!"_

" _Haha… is that so? Well, you know what to do should you find your will breaking. If you give yourself to me, I will gladly avenge your precious Mikaela for you."_

" _That won't be necessary, Asuramaru."_

 _The demon shrugged his shoulders. "Whatever you say, Miss Hyakuya. By the way, you should probably be getting up soon. It wouldn't look good for you to be late on the first day of your new job…" he teased._

 _Before the ravenette could answer, she heard the loud ringing of an alarm clock indicating that morning had come…_

 **SSSSSS**

Yuichiro gasped as her eyes flew open after her alarm clock had gone off. Reaching over to turn off the timer, she saw that it was about seven o' clock, the time she normally got up to get ready for school.

Closing her eyes again for a brief moment, the ravenette reached for the gold heart-shaped locket that rested above her breasts and closed her fist around it. Since the day she and Guren had returned from their trip from the waterfall grounds, Yuu had worn Mika's gift every day and everywhere, even into the shower. Over the last two years, she could count the times she had taken it off on just one hand.

Though he made no mention of it, Yuichiro sensed that Guren had little love for the trinket she insisted on wearing all the time. And even if he did, the girl could not bear to get rid of or put it away again because having it somehow made her feel closer to the boy who gave his life for her. Not a day had gone by that Yuichiro had not thought of her previous family and what might have been had things not taken the tragic turn they did.

Especially her favorite orphanage brother.

Even now, Yuichiro could not help wondering what Mikaela would be like if he had lived and grown as she had. How tall would he be? What size shoes would he be wearing? Would he still have that charming baby face that could make even a vampire swoon? Guren would probably think it pointless to ponder such things but Yuichiro was sure even he was curious to know what his special childhood friend would be like now if had she lived to be his age.

Even if he would never admit it.

Opening her eyes again, Yuichiro yawned and stretched her arms before finally getting up from her bed and making her way to the bathroom to brush her teeth and take her usual morning shower. Once she was cleaned and dried off, the girl went through her closet while wrapped in her towel and almost took her school uniform off the hanger when she remembered that today was Saturday and school was out for the weekend. Recalling Asuramaru's words before she woke up made Yuu realize that today Guren was finally sending her on her first mission as a full-fledged member of the Moon Demon Company and that she was supposed to meet up with Shinoa before they leave for the outer walls.

Feeling silly that she had actually forgotten her new mission for a moment considering that it was what she spent nearly four years training and studying so hard for, Yuichiro pushed the hanger with her school uniform aside and reached for her MDC uniform instead. As soon as she was properly dressed, the girl brushed and tied her hair into a high ponytail before putting on a little makeup. She also made sure her new demon sword, Asuramaru, was secure at her belt along with Shinya's semi-automatic before finally putting on her cape and boots and leaving her dorm.

As Yuichiro predicted, her purple-haired watchdog was right outside the hallway waiting for her. And with a small paper bag in her hand that looked like it contained some kind of snack. From the looks of it, Yuichiro surmised that Shinoa must have stopped by the mess hall to pick it up before coming to her dorm.

"Good morning, Miss Hyakuya! Lovely day to go on a mission, don't you think?" Shinoa joked in a singsong tone as she offered her friend the bag she was holding.

"Is this for me? What is it?" Yuichiro asked curiously as she took the small bag and looked inside to find a freshly-baked brand muffin in it.

"Your breakfast, of course. Since Guren is expecting us to meet with him at the gates along with Yoichi and Kimizuki soon, we won't have time to eat at the mess hall like we usually do before school and training."

Yuichiro blinked. Although disappointed that she won't have time to sit down and enjoy a proper breakfast, the ravenette was grateful that Shinoa had gone out of her way to pick up something for her so that she wouldn't have to start her first mission on an empty stomach.

"Uh, thanks, Shinoa, that's very thoughtful of you."

The other girl laughed merrily. "Well since you're a part of my squad now, it's my responsibility to do everything I can to help you perform your best."

"I see… but what about you? Didn't you get anything for yourself before coming here?"

Shinoa waved off Yuichiro's concern with a swipe of her hand. "Don't worry about me, I've already eaten. I'm sure Yoichi and Kimizuki did too. So shall we get going now?"

"Of course. Why don't you lead the way, Miss Hiragi?"

"With pleasure."

 **SSSSSS**

"So tell me, Shinoa, where exactly will we be going?" Yuichiro asked her friend as she and Shinoa walked side by side while making their way for the gates that would take them outside the safety of the walls.

"Well, you've heard your guardian mention that the vampires in Kansai are planning to reconquer Shinjuku, right?"

"Yes, I recall him saying something like that. So is that where we're going?" Yuu asked as she took another bite of her breakfast muffin, trying to eat a bit faster so that it would be gone by the time she met up with Guren and the boys.

"Correct. The plan is to strengthen Shinjuku's defenses before the vampires attack. I don't think I need to tell you that to get there, we must leave the safety of Shibuya's ramparts. Once we're out there, we'll be completely on our own until we get to Shinjuku."

"I know, Shinoa. Believe it or not, I've been to Shinjuku before though it's been a while."

"Oh, I believe it. That was the city where you decided to take on a rogue vampire by yourself while armed with only a bokken, a semi-automatic, and a few kunai. It's also where Guren discovered you were a girl after you were careless enough to get injured by said vampire even though you did help him and his squad to take it down."

Yuichiro scowled in annoyance at the other girl after she finished the last bite of her muffin and tossed the bag into a nearby trashcan.

"Let me guess, Shinya told you that, didn't he?"

"Yup. And as an apology for lying to me about your true gender for as long as he did. I wonder, Yuu, if Guren had not discovered that you were female then, would you still be posing as a boy today?"

Yuichiro sighed. "I'm not sure. It was already starting to get quite difficult to pass myself off as a boy by the time I was twelve with all the bodily changes I was going through as well as awkward situations I've been caught up in. Sayuri and Shigure discovered it the day Guren took me in because I had to take off my shirt for them to treat me after I got injured escaping Sanguinem. Shinya, Goshi, and Mito were able to figure it out shortly after meeting me but they were nice enough to keep my secret for as long as they could. If Guren hadn't walked in on me getting treated after I was injured by that vampire, I might have been able to fool him for a little longer but probably not until today."

"I probably would have given you a couple of months more at most. In any case, we're almost at the gates. As your squad leader, let me do all the talking, ok?"

"Fine by me."

Standing slightly behind Shinoa, Yuichiro watched in silence as the purple-haired girl politely asked the guards to open the gates leading to the outside.

"Good morning, sirs! My friend and I are of the Moon Demon Company's vampire extermination unit, so would you be so kind as to open the gate?"

The guards gave both girls a blank stare before one of them whispered to the other:

"The Moon Demon Company? But they're so young, just kids!"

"Shh!" the other guard hissed. "They'll hear you!"

Instead of being offended, the purple-haired girl giggled and playfully elbowed Yuichiro.

"Hear that? They just called us a couple of kids!"

The ravenette rolled her eyes. "I bet they're talking about _you_ , Shinoa, since you're such a midget. I may be sixteen but I'm just as tall as any grown woman."

Shinoa grinned. "Nonsense! I'm still a growing girl, you know? You should have seen my elder sister; she was a busty girl who could turn the heads of young boys and grown men alike."

At this revelation, Yuichiro raised a brow. In all the time she knew Shinoa, the other girl only spoke of her brothers but never mentioned that she had a sister.

"You have a sister, Shinoa? You never told me that."

Shinoa smiled and shook her head. "Correction, I _had_ a sister. She passed away a long time ago."

Yuichiro frowned. "Oh, really? I'm sorry to hear that."

"Don't be. In a world like this, there isn't a person alive who hasn't lost someone important to them as I'm sure you know."

Thinking of Mika, Akane, and the others, Yuichiro nodded in silent agreement and followed Shinoa outside when the gates were opened. As soon as they were just outside the exit, she heard a loud feminine voice in the distance.

"What?! You must be joking, Lieutenant Colonel Ichinose!"

"That voice…"

Though it had been years since she heard it, Yuichiro instantly recognized it as belonging to her old classmate whom she had not seen since eighth grade.

And from the sound of it, the girl was arguing with Guren over her new assignment which was quite audacious considering that he normally did not tolerate his subordinates questioning his orders and wasn't anywhere near as fond of her as he was of Yuu.

Looking in the direction of the argument, Yuichiro and Shinoa saw none other than Mitsuba Sangu throwing a temper tantrum in front of Guren with Yoichi and Kimizuki, who were also clad in their MDC uniforms with their new demon weapons at their sides, watching in silence.

"Why was I assigned to a team of rookies when I've been in the elite force since I was fourteen?!" ***1***

"I don't believe it" Yuichiro breathed. "Is that Mitsuba? Why is she so upset?"

Shinoa shrugged. "Beats me. Just so you know, the MDC squads are organized into teams of five members each. And between you, me, Yoichi, and Kimizuki, there are only four of us so we need one more member."

"I see…"

As soon as he caught sight of Yuu and Shinoa, Yoichi took the chance to wave at them.

"Yuu! Shinoa! You're finally here!"

Upon seeing his ward and Shinoa, Guren's lips curved into a small smile as if he were relieved to have a distraction from Mitsuba's whining.

"Well, you girls sure took your sweet time…"

Yuichiro smirked. "What do you mean, sir? We're exactly on time. It is _you_ and the boys who are early. As I recall, you asked us to meet you here at eight thirty, didn't you? Well, here we are."

"Very perceptive, Yuichiro. I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Anyway, I do believe you and Shinoa have met Miss Sangu here even though it's been a while…"

As soon as Guren mentioned Yuu and Shinoa, Mitsuba spun around and glared at both of them, especially Shinoa.

"You!" the blonde girl shouted angrily as she pointed at Shinoa before turning back to Guren.

"I might have tolerated this if you put me in charge of the new recruits but you're telling me you're actually putting that clown, Shinoa, in charge? Would you mind explaining why?!"

The lieutenant colonel sighed and placed a hand on his head as if trying to ease a headache.

"As a matter of fact, I do, Miss Sangu. In case you forgot, you're in the Moon Demon Company under my command and my decisions are not up for debate. From now on, you will be a part of Shinoa's squad and that's not a request, that's an order."

Upon hearing her superior's retort, Mitsuba clenched her fists and turned around to glare at Shinoa again. The blonde girl looked so angry, Yuichiro swore she could see the veins popping on her forehead.

Instead of being intimidated, Shinoa merely laughed as she flung a lock of purple hair over her shoulder like Yuichiro often did with her braid when bickering with Guren.

"That goes for you too, Miss Hiragi," the older man said sternly knowing Shinoa's mischievous nature. "Since Mitsuba is now a part of your team, try to get along and not make trouble for me, all right?"

"But of course sir!" the purple-haired girl said cheerfully. "You can count on me to be sure Mi-chan knows her place!"

Not _that_ finally set the blonde girl off like a bomb.

"Why you little bitch!" Mitsuba shouted as she summoned her demon weapon, a large black battle axe. "I'll beat you to a bloody pulp!"

"Oooh, I'm soo scared!" Shinoa mocked as she summoned her own scythe and prepared to clash with the enraged blonde girl.

Yuichiro found herself at a loss for words as she watched the two girls whom she remembered to be such close friends go at it and right in front of Guren himself no less. The ravenette could not help wondering if the two had some kind of falling out that would make Mitsuba act so hostilely towards Shinoa.

After watching the two younger girls indulge their grudge for a moment, Guren sighed and finally took out his sword before easily disarming them both with a single swipe. As soon as the weapons were out of their hands and on the ground behind them, Guren swiftly grabbed both Shinoa and Mitsuba none-too-gently by their throats.

"That's enough, ladies. Don't try my patience any further unless you want to end up in solitary confinement," he warned.

Mitsuba gulped. As angry as she was, even she knew better than to test the limits of Guren's patience and from the look on Shinoa's face, she did too.

"Um, ok. I'll behave…" Shinoa said quietly.

"Yeah, I will too…" Mitsuba agreed.

After narrowing his eyes and tightening his hold on their throats slightly to make sure they knew he was serious, Guren finally released them before turning to Yuu and the boys.

"Anyway, this is your newest member, Mitsuba Sangu. For those of you who don't know, the squads in the MDC are all organized into five-person teams because a smaller team will not survive an encounter with an armed vampire. When outside, always remember to look out for each other and refrain from taking independent action."

As he said this, Guren turned to his young ward. "That especially goes for you, Yuichiro. Try not to disappoint me this time."

The ravenette sighed. "Fine, fine…" she said before offering a hand to the newest member of her squad. "It's nice to see you again, Mitsuba. I was wondering where you disappeared off to after eighth grade because I haven't heard from you since."

Instead of taking the hand Yuichiro offered, Mitsuba snorted and turned back to Guren.

"So I'm in charge of training these newbies?" the blonde girl asked as she made a gesture towards Yuu, Yoichi, and Kimizuki.

Guren raised a brow. "Training? What can they possibly learned from a trouble-maker like you?"

The blonde girl scowled. "Excuse me, but I am _not_ a troublemaker!"

Guren rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Anyway, listen up, everyone! Since you are now a team, I expect you to work like one because your very lives will depend on it once you leave the safety of the walls. For your first mission, I want all of you to stop by Harajuku and free the humans the vampires are holding prisoner there before heading on to Shinjuku."

"And what about you, sir?" Yuichiro asked.

"My squad and I will be taking a different route so we'll meet you there after you free the humans in Harajuku. And please try not to take too long," Guren answered with a smirk at his ward.

"Hmph!" the younger girl scoffed as she flipped her long ebony ponytail over her shoulder. "I'll try not to considering the fact that I'll be taking on some vampires to free a whole community of people, _sir!"_

Both Yuichiro and Guren knew she normally did not have a problem being on time unless she was being held up by something beyond her control but that didn't stop him from using those rare instances to tease her.

Kimizuki, who was usually so serious, had to stifle a laugh watching the humorous interaction between his friend and her guardian. The fact that Guren tolerated Yuichiro's snarky retorts told him that the man must have a great deal of affection for her.

"So you've noticed it too?" Yoichi asked quietly as if reading Kimizuki's mind as he smiled and gently nudged the pink-haired boy.

"What do you mean, Yoichi?" Kimizuki asked as he crossed his arms and feigned ignorance while continuing to watch Guren and Yuichiro exchange a few more words.

"How alike Yuu and the lieutenant colonel are. Even when they pretend otherwise and act like they can't stand each other."

"Well, I'm pretty sure Miss Hyakuya had to get that attitude from somewhere. Strange as it sounds, I actually like her this way."

"That makes two of us," Yoichi agreed with a small laugh.

 **SSSSSS**

"How awful…" Yoichi murmured as he looked at the ruins of what was once a lively city bustling with life and activity.

The look on the brunette boy's face made it appear as if he were staring at the ruins of an ancient city that were hundreds or thousands of years old instead of a city that had fallen into ruin less than a decade ago.

"Yeah…" Yuichiro agreed as she and the rest of her companions followed Shinoa out of Shibuya to the world that been abandoned by humanity.

Looking at her surroundings, the girl was reminded of that horrible night where she saw people screaming and dying in the streets as cars crashed and piled on top of each other while she, Mikaela, and the rest of their little family desperately tried to find someplace safe to hide before their capture by the vampires.

Everywhere they looked, as far as the eye could see, were collapsed buildings, shattered glass, wrecked cars, fallen street lights and other debris. The roads themselves were also cracked and severely damaged with raised pieces of asphalt and potholes of all sizes. Even if the human population had not been so drastically reduced, it would take years, maybe even decades to restore the towns and cities outside Shibuya to their former condition.

Curious, Yuichiro gave the younger boy a questioning look. "You act like you've never been outside Shibuya before."

"Actually, you're right, I haven't," Yoichi admitted. "Not since I was taken in by the Demon Army, that is. But what about you, Yuichiro? I was told that you and Kimizuki were part of the Shibuya Guard before joining the MDC so you must have been outside the walls before, right?"

Yuichiro nodded. "Yes, I have. Though Guren would never allow me to go too far beyond them." Turning to Kimizuki, she asked: "Were you in the Shibuya Guard too? I don't recall ever running into you."

"Well, that's probably because we never had the same shifts," the pink-haired boy answered simply.

"Yes, you're right. That must be the reason otherwise I'm sure I would have remembered if we met before. So how did you like being in the Shibuya Guard?"

"Honestly, I thought it was as boring as hell even though the pay was decent," Kimizuki admitted.

Upon hearing his answer, Yuichiro had to laugh. "That makes two of us."

Mitsuba snorted before turning around and facing them while wagging her finger like a teacher with no patience for her students.

"Hmph! You both think you're hot stuff just because you managed to fend off a couple of Horsemen of John near the walls? Any idiot can do that since they're weakened by the barriers set up there but once you get to be a kilometer further out, they get way stronger, so don't slack off if you don't want to die and drag the rest of us down with you!"

Without waiting for Yuu or Kimizuki to answer, the blond girl turned around and stuck her nose in the air as she marched past Shinoa while muttering: "Amateurs! They're going to be the death of me!"

Kimizuki scowled as he looked at Yuichiro "Seriously? What's up her ass? How can your guardian possibly think it's a good idea to put that hot-head in our squad?" he demanded.

"I have no idea, Kimizuki…" the ravenette confessed as she shrugged her shoulders before walking a bit faster until she was by Shinoa's side. "But I'm sure our squad leader here does. So tell me, Shinoa, did you and Mitsuba have some kind of falling out? She wasn't like this the last time I saw her." ***2***

The purple-haired girl simply smiled and said: "It's a bit of a long story, Yuu, and I don't want to bore you with the details. I think Mi-chan's real issue is that she doesn't want you or the others dying on her watch. You can say she's feeling the pressure of responsibility for your lives."

Though Yuichiro was curious, she knew that now was not the time to press Shinoa for details and said nothing more until the squad finally reached the ruins of the Harajuku train station.

"Ok, we're finally here!" Mitsuba said and spun around to face Yuichiro and the others. For some odd reason, Shinoa did not act the slightest bit offended that the blonde girl acted as if she were in charge of the squad instead of her.

"Now listen up, everyone! Our mission is to free the humans being held hostage here. Make sure you stay in formation and don't lower your guard if you want to get out of this alive!"

Finally fed up with the blonde girl's ranting, Yuichiro finally spoke up. "I don't need a babysitter, Mitsuba; I'm more than capable of fighting alone or with others if need be!" she snapped. ***3***

While Guren had ordered Yuu and the rest of the squad to cooperate with Mitsuba as a member, he made no mention of them having to obey her since Shinoa was the official squad leader.

Before Mitsuba could make a scathing reply, they heard the shrill cry of a child in the distance.

"Help! Somebody, please help me!"

"What was that?!" Yoichi cried.

Turning in the direction of the voice, the squad was shocked to see a young girl who appeared to be no older than ten running for her life from a Horseman of John who was fully intent on making her a snack.

Looking at the child, Yuichiro recalled the time she rescued another little girl who was being pursued by a sadistic blood-thirsty vampire in Shinjuku.

The day she made the choice to protect someone over her personal vendetta against vampires and finally understood what it meant to be a soldier.

Without consulting Mitsuba or any of her other squad mates, Yuichiro instantly brought her hand to Asuramaru and drew the sword from its sheath as she prepared to take on the creature to protect the child.

But before the ravenette could make a break for it, she felt Mitsuba's hand close around her wrist.

"What the hell, Yuu?! Weren't you listening when I said stay in formation?!" the blond girl demanded.

"Shut up!" Yuichiro shot back while giving Mitsuba a glare intense enough to make her loosen her unwanted hold before turning to Shinoa since she was the squad leader with the authority to override the blond girl's decision.

Her usual smile nowhere in sight, the purple-haired girl frowned and shook her head. "No, Mi-chan is right, Yuu. This is a trap set up by the vampires. There's no way a child or even an adult could survive alone out here. Don't you see? They're just using her as bait to lure us out. The moment we break formation, the vampires will attack us and pick us off one by one."

"What? That doesn't make sense! Why would a Horseman of John obey the vampires since they have no will or mind of their own?" Kimizuki demanded.

"They don't," Shinoa answered sharply, her usual cheerful and light-hearted demeanor gone as she became serious. "They simply follow their natural instinct to attack and eat humans as punishment for our so-called sins. Don't you see? It's the oldest vampire trick in the book: they release a human in front of the monster to chase and capture those who try to help them."

"So what the hell are we supposed to do?" Yuichiro demanded impatiently.

"We wait until the enemy comes out before we engage!" Mitsuba snapped.

"Are you fucking nuts?!" Yuu screamed. "By then it might be too late and the kid could be monster chow!"

"You're the one who's fucking nuts!" Mitsuba screamed back as she tightened her hold on Yuichiro's wrist once more. "If you go rescue that girl, our whole team could be wiped out by the time the vampires arrive!"

"Is that what you're so scared of, Mitsu? Well, in that case, I'll just have to make sure I save her before the fangs arrive, don't I? The rest of you can retreat if you're scared but don't underestimate my fighting ability!"

And with that Yuichiro finally wrenched herself free of her squad mate's grip and charged towards the Horseman of John like a raging bull. Panicking, Mitsuba attempted to restrain her but quickly discovered that the other girl was a lot stronger than she looked.

After Yuichiro was gone, Mitsuba turned towards her squad leader. _"Do_ something, Shinoa! What kind of squad leader are you if you can't even keep your subordinates in line?!"

Shinoa frowned and looked towards Yuichiro. For as long as she knew her, the ravenette normally did not have a problem following orders unless she felt very strongly about something.

"Like Yuu said, if she can save the girl and get back here before the vampires arrive, we'll still be ok."

Mitsuba glared at her. "'If'? You're willing to gamble our very lives on that chance? This is why _I_ should have been squad leader and not _you!"_

Being used to the other girl's temper and outbursts, Shinoa did not take offense at Mitsuba's remark.

"Don't underestimate Yuichiro, Mi-chan," she answered with a smirk. "You may not have noticed but she is clearly not an ordinary soldier. Unlike you, I've been around her much longer and seen her in action many times. So far, Yuichiro has _never_ failed to achieve her objective, orders or no. She may not look like it, but Yuu is not the kind of person who would take chances like that unless she's almost certain she could succeed."

Mitsuba gritted her teeth but deep down, she knew Shinoa was right. Since the day she saw Yuichiro knock Takeshi Saehara out cold with a single blow for pulling up her skirt, Mitsuba knew the ravenette was no ordinary girl. But she wasn't about to admit that and said:

"Fine! But if Yuu fails and we get killed because of it, it will be all _your_ fault, Shinoa!"

 _Not like it will matter anymore if that happens…_ the purple-haired girl thought grimly but held her tongue since she didn't want to make the situation any more nerve-wracking than it already was. Kimizuki and Yoichi, on the other hand, knew better than to come between two bickering girls like Mitsuba and Yuichiro. So they wisely let their squad leader do all the talking.

Like Shinoa had surmised, Yuichiro moved fast, using her sword to sever one of the Horseman's limbs before it could grab the child and take her into its mouth. Thanks to Goshi's training and her own efforts at physical conditioning, Yuichiro easily lifted the younger girl into her arms, even managing a reassuring smile to ease the frightened child's fears.

"What the…?"

"Look, I'm going to have to throw you but don't worry! My friends will catch you while I take care of this monster, ok?"

Before the child could say another word, she found herself being flung through the air while accompanied by a shout.

"Kimizuki, catch!"

The pink-haired boy didn't need to be told twice and opened his arms to catch the terrified child flying towards him while Yuichiro took the chance to finish off the Horseman of John by driving her sword into a weak spot between its eyes like the one she killed over two weeks ago.

No sooner was she in Kimizuki's arms, the squad saw several vampires that seemed to come out from nowhere surround Yuichiro like a pack of hungry wolves.

"Shit!" Mitsuba cursed as she summoned her battle axe and prepared to rush to Yuichiro's aid before Shinoa stilled her hand.

"Wait, Mi-chan! I think Yuu has the situation under control. Stay here until she makes an opening for us, and then we'll all come in and help her while maintaining our formation!"

The blonde girl stared at her squad leader incredulously. "Seriously, Shinoa? Don't you think you're overestimating Yuichiro just a bit?"

"I know what she's capable of; please trust me on this. If it looks like Yuu's being overwhelmed, we'll come in and help her no matter what, I promise you!"

Mitsuba looked about to argue further when she saw Yoichi pointing over her shoulder.

"Look, I think she's got it!"

Turning around, the blonde girl saw Yuichiro skillfully fending off the common vampires who were attacking her with the help of Asuramaru. Although she had only obtained it the day before, Yuichiro fought like she had been wielding a black demon weapon for years.

Swinging the tip of Asuramaru in the air in a wide circle, the ravenette closed her eyes and called for her demon contractor.

"Asuramaru, lend me your power!" she whispered.

The demon's response was instant and Yuichiro felt her skin tighten where the curse marks appeared on her neck and jaw line up to her temples. As soon as she swung her sword around in a circle again, a strong gust of wind emanated from the enchanted blade and forced the advancing vampires back.

"Shit, who is this girl?!" one of the vampires cursed as he tried to cover his face with his arms.

As soon as she noticed the vampires were distracted and off balance, Shinoa turned to the rest of her squad.

"That's our cue!" she said as she made a gesture towards Yuichiro.

Without any further ado, Shinoa, Kimizuki, and Mitsuba made their move and rushed in to assist Yuichiro while Yoichi stayed behind with his bow to offer backup support and protect the little girl Yuichiro just rescued. Even though the squad outnumbered the vampires four to three, none of them were foolish enough to let their guard down for even a second.

"Rushing into battle alone is quite reckless, Yuu! Despite what you might think, we'd never just leave a child to her fate. At least _I_ wouldn't!" Kimizuki said with a smirk as he took out his twin swords and took a swipe at a vampire who had recovered and attempted to attack Yuichiro.

If the situation didn't require everyone's full attention, Mitsuba would have shot the pink-haired boy a dirty look and made a scathing reply to his barb. She insisted that the squad stay together only because she didn't want them to get killed and now two of her squad mates are making her look like the bad guy.

Ironically, it was Shinoa who understood the blonde girl's intentions more than anyone and showed her appreciation by covering her back when another vampire attempted to stab Mitsuba from behind. As the kind of person who hated being indebted to others, the blonde girl shot her squad leader a look of annoyance but was grateful nonetheless.

"Shit, these kids have black demon weapons!" the leader, a vampire with light tan skin and long platinum blond hair, cursed as he glared at Yuichiro. Unknown to the ravenette, her unusual display of power and strength had piqued his interest.

"Kill the others but let's capture this one, there's something very unusual about her that could be of use to us!" he ordered.

"Oh, hell no! Like I'd ever let you take me alive, bastard!" Yuichiro shot back as she brandished Asuramaru at the vampire leader.

The vampire laughed as he brandished his own sword. "You act as if you have a choice, human!"

Yuichiro gritted her teeth and held her ground as she tried to think about her next move but before she can charge again, the ravenette heard her squad leader call out from behind her.

"That's enough for now, Yuu! Fall back!" Shinoa ordered.

The night before the squad left Shibuya, Guren had given Shinoa strict instructions to keep an eye on Yuichiro and not allow her to engage in any unnecessary confrontations that could endanger her life needlessly. And now was one of those times. Especially because she knew that it would be quite difficult for the squad to fight the vampires at their full strength if they also had to protect someone like the child Yuu had rescued.

Before the ravenette could reply, they heard a rude snicker coming from a red-haired female vampire.

"Fall back? As if we'd let you heads of livestock get away. Especially you, girl. You've got quite a mouth on you. Someone needs to teach you your place!"

Years ago, Yuichiro might have exploded at such provocation but she learned from Guren that it was essential to keep her cool on the battlefield if she wanted to survive. So instead of screaming at the female vampire, Yuichiro managed a sweet smile even though her green eyes glittered dangerously as she made a playful mocking expression and asked:

"Hmm? I didn't quite hear you, you bloodsucking whore. Could you please repeat that?"

The female vampire snarled and bared her fangs as she tightened the grip on her own weapon, a lance, in an attempt to intimidate the audacious human girl who dared to speak to her that way.

"Why you little bitch! I'll rip that insolent tongue out of your mouth and shove it down your throat until you choke on it and drown in your own blood!" she screamed as she prepared to charge at Yuichiro with the full intent to make good on her threat.

But before the red-haired vampire could move, she felt her leader's hand close around her wrist. Like Shinoa, he too, prefer his group not to engage in any unnecessary confrontation with wielders of the black demon weapons. Especially with that raven-haired, green-eyed girl who was not what she appeared to be.

"That's enough, Anya. We'll finish this another day," he said quietly as he tugged on her wrist before turning to his other followers and giving them the signal to retreat. Like all vampires, he was proud but still smart enough to know when to back off.

Forgetting her anger at Yuichiro, the vampire named Anya calmed down and obeyed. The way she looked at her leader made Yuu wonder if the two could be more than just commander and subordinate.

She didn't have time to ponder the thought for long before the vampires took off, moving so fast that they appeared to vanish into thin air.

After the vampires had gone, Yuichiro felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see Kimizuki with a solemn look in his eyes.

"You heard Shinoa. We'd best get out of here before their reinforcements arrive. Don't forget that we're on enemy ground. And it's best we get that little girl somewhere she'll be safe."

Placing her hand over Kimizuki's, Yuichiro nodded. "I know. The safety of the child and our squad comes first" she said quietly.

Glad that Yuichiro wasn't going to argue with him like she did with Mitsuba, Kimizuki said nothing more as they turned around and made their retreat.

 **SSSSSS**

 _Slap!_

Yuichiro remained expressionless when she lifted her hand and easily blocked Mitsuba's attempt to strike her, their palms cracking hard against each other as soon as they made contact. If she could block an attack by Kimizuki, who was considerably stronger and a bit more reckless than the blonde girl, Yuichiro could without a doubt, block Mitsuba's attack without batting an eyelash.

Knowing that any additional attempts to strike the other girl with her bare hands would be futile since she was also an adept martial artist trained by Mito Jujo, Mitsuba clenched her fists and glared at Yuichiro while Shinoa and the boys watched in silence.

"What the hell were you thinking, Yuu?! Your reckless behavior endangered all our lives!"

"I'm not denying that Mitsu," the ravenette said coolly. "Would you feel better if I had stayed in formation and left the child to be eaten alive by that Horseman of John? I doubt you would. And if you were in her place, wouldn't you have wanted me to save you as well?"

Knowing that the other girl was absolutely right, Mitsuba sighed in frustration but did not argue.

"I hate people like you…" the blonde girl snarled before she felt a tug on her sleeve.

Looking down, Mitsuba saw, to her surprise, the child they had rescued earlier. After retreating, the squad had moved on to a Shibuya observation post as per Shinoa's orders.

Seeing the expression of relief and gratitude on the younger girl's face, Mitsuba's expression softened as she asked:

"Yes? What is it?"

The girl blushed and looked down for a moment before answering. "I just wanted to say, thank you, all of you, for saving my life. Especially Miss Hyakuya. I would have died if you hadn't come to my rescue."

Yuichiro smiled at her. "There is no need to thank us. Protecting people from vampires is what we do."

As much as they had gotten off to a rocky start, Mitsuba had to agree with Yuichiro as she kneeled down and gently pat the child on the head.

"It's ok, you have nothing to worry about. Everything will be all right now. The Japanese Imperial Demon Army will protect you!"

Upon hearing Mitsuba's promise, the child's face broke out into a wide smile. "Ok! Thank you!" she exclaimed before a female guard approached and gently led her away by the hand.

After the pair was gone and out of earshot, Mitsuba spun around and glared at Yuichiro again.

"Don't get me wrong, I still hate people like you!" she hissed while pointing an accusing finger at Yuu before storming off.

After Mitsuba was gone, Yuichiro turned to Shinoa. Now that they were out of danger, the ravenette saw no harm in finally asking the questions that had been on her mind since they were reunited with the blonde girl.

"Shinoa, would you mind telling me exactly how and why Mitsuba turned out like this? I take it you know more than you were willing to tell me earlier. If I'm going to be working with her from now on, I'd appreciate knowing what I'm dealing with."

Instead of answering, the purple-haired girl skillfully side-stepped the question with her light-hearted demeanor having returned.

"Don't take it personally, Yuu. Despite what she says, Mi-chan doesn't hate you. Everyone in the Demon Army has had a troubled past and our dear Mi-chan is no exception. You can relate, right?"

Yuichiro sighed and nodded. "I suppose so…" she agreed before moving on to more pressing matters. "So what next?"

"Simple; we try to figure out how to recapture Harajuku now that the enemy knows we're here."

"Well, for starters, we better think of a new strategy," Kimizuki said dryly.

"Honestly, I'd prefer to avoid fighting all together…" Yoichi said nervously, causing the pink-haired boy to raise a brow.

"I thought you wanted to get your revenge against the vampires? It's a bit hard to do that without fighting, Yoichi. Or are you just saying that because this is the first time you've ever engaged them in combat and you're scared shitless?"

"Well… you're right, maybe that's it. I'll get over it, Kimizuki so don't worry about me" the brunette boy insisted.

"I certainly hope so, Yoi… for all our sakes."

Shinoa smiled at the exchange but said nothing as she turned and followed Yuichiro's silent gaze towards the direction where Mitsuba had left. Although she said nothing, Shinoa could almost hear the other girl's thoughts.

 _What's happened to you, Mitsuba?_

 **Footnotes:**

 **1\. In canon, Mitsuba has been a member of the MDC since age 13. In my fic, she's 14 when she joined.**

 **2\. Male!Yuu does not meet Mitsuba until his first mission outside the walls. Fem!Yuu met Mitsuba in seventh grade.**

 **3\. Unlike male!Yuu who has a rivalry with Kimizuki, fem!Yuu has a rivalry with Mitsuba.**


	11. Old Scars and New Allies: Part I

**Disclaimer: I do not own Owari no Seraph (Seraph of the End). I write this for your enjoyment only. Keep in mind that my story is an alternate version of the Shibuya/Shinjuku arc with differences from the original; please refer to the footnotes at the end. Once again, I would like to thank my beta reader, ResidentialPsycho, for her help in making this fic possible. Enjoy and please review!**

 **Chapter 11: Old Scars and New Allies, Part I**

"Seriously, who does that girl think she is, ignoring orders and acting solo? I bet the only reason Yuichiro Hyakuya is in the Moon Demon Company is that she's the lieutenant colonel's ward!" Mitsuba muttered in frustration as she scrubbed her arms with soap and water using a loofah sponge.

As if in answer, the blonde girl heard a merry laugh coming from the shower stall next to hers even though she had not intended for her rant to be heard. Parting the curtain separating their stalls, Shinoa poked her head through the opening and gave Mitsuba a playful grin.

"Oh come now, Mi-chan, ***1*** everything worked out, didn't it? You need to have a little more faith in your comrades! Even if she _is_ his ward, I'm sure the lieutenant colonel wouldn't have put Yuu in the MDC if she wasn't a competent soldier."

The blonde girl glared at her squad leader. "As I recall, part of being a 'competent' soldier is being able to follow orders!" she shot back.

"True," Shinoa agreed. "But there's also more to being a good soldier than mindlessly obeying orders. Besides, it's not like you don't understand where Yuichiro is coming from, right?"

Mitsuba frowned. She knew Shinoa was absolutely right. Yuichiro's actions reminded her of the time she herself disobeyed orders and broke formation to rescue a squad mate from being devoured by a Horseman of John. As a result, her previous squad leader sacrificed himself to save her when she left herself wide-open since she had not been as lucky as Yuichiro was when she managed to rescue that little girl and fend off the advancing vampires long enough for the rest of the squad to come to her aid.

No, that wasn't right. Yuichiro didn't fare better because she was lucky but because she was a quick thinker and a stronger, more competent fighter than Mitsuba herself. If the ravenette had better control over her emotions and impulses, she would have also made a better squad leader as well.

"That was a long time ago, Shinoa…" Mitsuba said without emotion. "I was lucky I lived to learn from my mistake. Yuichiro may be lucky this time but don't let her keep pushing her luck if you don't want to get us all killed."

"Oh, is that what you're _really_ upset about?" Shinoa teased. "Or are you still bitter that you crushed on Yuu for almost a year before you found out she was a girl? I understand how disappointed you were; I was too, but she did tell us her reasons. After all this time, I thought you would have gotten over it by now, Mi-chan…"

Before the purple-haired girl could say another word, she heard the sound of a fist hitting the wall of the shower stall lightly.

"Shinoa…"

Lifting her gaze from the shower floor to the other girl's face which was red with embarrassment and a bit of anger, Shinoa asked:

"Yes?"

"Don't ever come in when I'm showering again."

The purple-haired girl blinked and stared at her squad mate for a moment in silence before her face broke out into a mischievous grin.

"Aww, come on, don't be so shy!" She squealed with delight as she shoved the curtains open and ran butt-naked into Mitsuba's shower stall before gleefully glomping the terrorized blonde girl and knocking them both to the wet floor.

"AHHHH! WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!"

"Tickle, tickle, hee hee!"

As the two girls wrestled and rolled around naked on the shower floor with Mitsuba desperately trying to pry the laughing Shinoa off of her, they both heard a voice calling out.

"Jesus, what the hell is going on here?"

Blushing furiously, Shinoa and Mitsuba found themselves in a somewhat compromising position when they looked up and saw Yuichiro staring down at them from the entrance of the shower room with a look of complete bewilderment on her face. The other girl was clad in a fluffy white towel and her long raven hair was loose from its ponytail.

From the look of things, Yuichiro had been waiting outside for her two squad mates to finish showering before coming in herself since she preferred to shower alone. But the racket had roused her attention so she went to see what was going on out of concern that Shinoa and Mitsuba were fighting again even after Guren had told them not to.

 _Shit, just kill me now…_ Mitsuba thought as her face burned with humiliation.

Shinoa, who had managed to find her voice first, laughed nervously and said:

"Yuu, I swear, it's not what it looks like!"

Yuichiro raised a brow. "Is it? I believe Guren told both of you to stop fighting and the rules apply everywhere, including the shower" the other girl said matter-of-factly as if she were the squad leader instead of Shinoa.

"We weren't fighting!" Mitsuba protested as she managed to shove Shinoa off of her before both of them stood up and faced Yuichiro.

Not knowing what else to say, Yuichiro sighed and rolled her eyes. "Nevermind. Are you two done yet? I want to finish my shower and get to bed as soon as possible. We've got a long day ahead of us tomorrow."

"What's the hurry, Yuu? Showers are supposed to be enjoyable!" Shinoa said playfully. "Since we're here, why don't you let us scrub your back for a change?"

The ravenette was about to refuse before she saw the expression on Shinoa's face that reminded her of Akane, who also offered to help her bathe after finding out she was a girl. Although she was perfectly capable of cleaning herself, Yuichiro had to admit that she did enjoy her orphanage sister's attention before Akane's life was cruelly cut short by the sadistic Ferid Bathory.

And if there was anything the loss of her previous family had taught Yuichiro, it was to appreciate and treasure the kindness of those dear to her heart since she never knew when or if she could lose them.

"Ok, Shinoa. If you insist…"

Glad to have a distraction from the compromising situation Yuu had caught them in, Mitsuba offered to help as well.

"Here, let me help with your hair, Yuu."

"Are you sure, Mitsu?" the other girl asked. "You don't have to, really."

"It's ok," the blonde girl insisted. "It's not like I have anything else to do right now anyway."

"All right. Thanks, Mitsu, I appreciate it," Yuichiro said as she removed her towel and handed it to Shinoa.

Once she stepped under the running water, Yuichiro allowed Shinoa to lather her skin with soap from a loofah sponge starting from her shoulders and going down her arms while Mitsuba started shampooing her hair. As silly as she felt allowing her friends to bathe her like she was a child, Yuichiro had to admit that she did enjoy their attention just as much as she used to enjoy Akane's. It also reminded her of the time Sayuri and Shigure gave her a sponge bath after she had escaped Sanguinem with nothing but Mika's locket and the clothes on her back.

Yuichiro closed her eyes and allowed herself to relax for a moment before she heard Mitsuba speak up again.

"Hey, Yuu, what's this?"

Confused, she asked: "What's what?"

"This…" Mitsuba answered as she lifted Yuichiro's hair slightly off her shoulders and placed a finger on her back before running it down the other girl's skin in a diagonal pattern.

While rubbing the shampoo into the Yuu's hair, Mitsuba noticed five deep sunken scars stretching from her upper right shoulder to her left lower back.

Yuichiro released a soft gasp. She had almost completely forgotten about them until the blonde girl reminded her.

Shinoa, who was also seeing the scars for the first time, found herself just as surprised as Mitsuba.

"What happened? You never told me you had scars like these, Yuu. They don't look like they came from a Horseman of John."

Yuichiro shook her head. "No… they didn't. They were made by a vampire."

Shinoa frowned. "From the looks of it, you couldn't have gotten them recently since your demon can only heal wounds or prevent scarring from injuries while you are in contract and not before. Or after. You've had these for a while, haven't you?"

Yuichiro nodded. "Yes…" she answered quietly.

Mitsuba's brows furrowed in concern as her annoyance and anger at the other girl's earlier act of insubordination was replaced with pity and sympathy.

"How did it happen?"

Yuichiro closed her eyes and was silent for a moment as her thoughts went back to the night where her life would be changed for the second time.

The night she lost Mikaela, Akane, and the rest of her dear family.

Sensing the other girl's discomfort, Shinoa gently scrubbed her back and said: "its ok, Yuu. You don't have to tell us if you don't want-"

"I was injured by Ferid Bathory, the vampire noble who killed my previous family, just before I used Mika's gun to blow his brains out and escape Sanguinem," Yuichiro answered before Shinoa could even finish her sentence.

Shinoa and Mitsuba blinked. They hadn't expected Yuichiro to tell them something like that right out of the blue but since she did, both of them almost regretted asking since it seemed to bring up painful memories for the other girl.

"I see…and this was right before Guren found you, is that right?" Shinoa asked quietly.

"Yes… I remember my back felt like it was on fire but that was nothing compared to what Mika had suffered. I didn't want to leave him but I had no choice. We both knew he wasn't going to make it and if I stayed behind, I would have been captured and brought back to Sanguinem. That was, if I didn't bleed to death from my injuries first. After that day, I swore I never wanted to survive at the expense of another person's life again. Because Mika gave his life for me."

Mitsuba frowned. _Drat, I've misjudged her. For a moment there, I thought she was just trying to show off and play hero…_ the blonde girl thought sadly.

"I'm sorry…" Mitsuba said quietly as she gently rinsed the shampoo out of Yuichiro's hair before putting on the conditioner.

Yuichiro smiled sadly and shook her head. "Don't be, Mitsu. You did not know him," she said, echoing Guren's words when he told her of his own childhood friend who also died young like Mikaela.

"True, but it doesn't mean we can't sympathize, Yuu," Shinoa said gently as she made a gesture for Yuichiro to lift her arms slightly so she could scrub her sides. "Like I've said before, there isn't a person in this messed-up world who hasn't lost someone dear to them."

"I know… even though I knew Mika wanted me to survive, there are times I wished I died with him. That's why I want to wipe every vampire off the face of the earth even if it takes me a lifetime or if it's the last thing I ever do. Because as far as I'm concerned, the only good vampire is a dead one."

Not knowing what else to say, Shinoa and Mitsuba exchanged a silent look before turning their attention back to the raven-haired girl.

 _It looks like some scars never heal…_ Shinoa thought sadly.

And from the look on Mitsuba's face, she was probably thinking the exact same thing.

 **SSSSSS**

"Shit, girls take so long to shower. What the hell could they possibly be doing in there?" Kimizuki muttered as he took a sip of his hot chocolate.

"I'm not sure…" Yoichi said as he offered the older boy a biscuit he had picked up from one of the vending machines outside. "I thought I heard screaming in there but Yuu told me she'd check it out, so I'm sure everything's fine now."

"Hmm… well, I hope our squad leader and assistant squad leader didn't get into another fight. That's the last thing we need right now. Especially since we need to plan our next move," the pink-haired boy said dryly.

Unlike the girls, both Kimizuki and Yoichi finished their shower in less than ten minutes and had been outside in the locker room of the shower facility waiting for them. Kimizuki swore that Shinoa, Mitsuba, and Yuichiro must have been in the shower for at least twenty minutes or more.

Knowing that there wasn't much they could do until the girls got out, Kimizuki turned to the little girl Yuichiro had rescued from the Horseman of John outside the Harajuku train station earlier that day. As soon as she was treated for her injuries, the child immediately asked for Yuichiro and was referred to the shower facility by one of the other guards.

"I forgot to ask you earlier, what's your name, girl?" the pink-haired boy asked kindly as he offered her the biscuit he had received from Yoichi but chosen not to eat.

The girl hesitated for a moment before answering. "Aya…" ***2*** she said when she finally found her voice and took the biscuit before stuffing it into her mouth. From the way she scarfed it down, Kimizuki could tell that she probably hadn't eaten all day.

Seeing how nervous the girl seemed, Kimizuki's expression became one of brotherly concern.

"Are you ok, Aya? That Horseman of John didn't hurt you too bad, did it?"

The younger girl shook her head fiercely. "No, I'm fine. I just wanted to talk to Miss Hyakuya if that's ok. Where is she?"

"Well, from the look of things, she's probably still in the shower, but I'm sure she's almost finished," Yoichi assured.

No sooner did the words leave his mouth, the three of them heard the girl in question calling out.

"What was it you wanted to talk to me about?"

Turning, Kimizuki, Yoichi, and Aya saw Yuichiro enter the locker room while squeezing the excess water from her hair. As expected, she was also accompanied by Shinoa and Mitsuba and all three girls were dressed in shorts and t-shirts. From the look of things, it seemed the ravenette had heard at least a part of their conversation.

As soon as she saw her savior, Aya smiled shyly and approached Yuichiro. "There is something I wanted to give you… for saving me."

Yuichiro blinked. "Hmm? You don't have to give me anything, Aya. I told you that exterminating vampires is what I do."

"But I want to, really!" the child insisted. "Please…"

Although she wasn't the kind to accept rewards simply for doing her job, Yuichiro found it hard to refuse the younger girl when she looked at her like that.

"Well, if it'll make you feel better, ok. So what was it you wanted to give me?"

Before answering, Aya lowered her face down to avoid looking Yuichiro in the eyes, as if she suddenly found the floor very interesting.

"It's about the hideout…the place where I was being held captive, Omotesando Station. ***3*** There are more people there…"

"I know… that's why we're heading out again tomorrow. To free the rest of them," Yuu assured her.

"Yes, but what you don't know is how many vampires are hiding there too."

Before Yuichiro could say anything, Shinoa spoke up. As squad leader, it was imperative that she had this information if it was available.

"You know how many vampires there are down there? Please tell us, any information you can provide will be helpful." the purple-haired girl asked in a gentle yet persuasive tone.

After hesitating for a moment, Aya finally said: "There are seven… seven vampires. Including the ones you fought today. Please be careful, Miss Hyakuya. That vampire lady, Anya, will be there too. She really has a grudge against you."

Yuichiro laughed as she remembered the red-haired female vampire who threatened to rip her tongue from her mouth.

"Don't worry about me, Aya. I'm not afraid to take on that bitch again."

Mitsuba, who had been listening the entire time in silence, suddenly cleared her throat to remind the other girl that she was talking to a child.

"Language, Yuu…"

"Yes, mom!" the ravenette shot back in a mocking tone as she gave Mitsuba a look of annoyance that made everyone in the room laugh, including Aya.

Turning back to the younger girl, Yuichiro smiled at her before ruffling her bobbed brown hair.

"Don't you worry about a thing, Aya! We'll rescue your family and friends so just be a good girl and wait here for us, ok?"

Aya giggled. "Ok."

"Good girl… you've been through a lot so try getting some sleep. I'll take you to the civilian quarters if you want."

Aya smiled as she accepted the hand Yuichiro offered. "I would like that…" she said.

Relieved to finally have an excuse to get away from Mitsuba's hen pecking, Yuichiro finally left with Aya while Shinoa and the others watched.

After the pair was gone, Mitsuba turned to her squad leader. "Honestly, Shinoa, would it be too much to ask that Yuichiro watch her language around kids?"

Shinoa simply smiled and waved off the blonde girl's comment. "You worry too much, Mi-chan. Just be glad that we were able to save someone and get a bit of information for the next part of our mission as well. It looks like Miss Hyakuya actually did us a favor."

Mitsuba crossed her arms as if she was unwilling to admit that her squad leader was right.

"Tsk, fine! I swear you and the lieutenant colonel indulge her a little too much."

"Well, to be honest, I don't see a problem with it as long as she can do her job," Yoichi said timidly. "Since I've met her, I've never seen Yuu fail to take down an opponent even once- she's that good."

"Or maybe she's just really, _really_ lucky," Mitsuba suggested. "Anyway, I'm going to go grab a bite to eat and turn in. We've got a long day ahead of us tomorrow. I suggest you tell Miss Hyakuya not to keep pushing that infamous luck of hers if she doesn't want to get us all killed."

And without another word, the blonde girl left, probably to get some dinner from the mess hall.

Once Mitsuba was gone and out of earshot, Kimizuki turned to his squad leader and asked. "Seriously, what's up with her? She seems to criticize Yuu a lot, even more than you, Shinoa."

Shinoa simply smiled and shook her head. "Don't worry about Mi-chan, Kimizuki. It's not that she doesn't have faith in Yuu's ability to fight. For as long as I've known her, Mi-chan's always been a worry-wart, especially when it concerns her friends. Anyway, she's right about one thing, we'd best turn in soon since we're going to Omotesando Station for the rest of the hostages tomorrow."

"You're right," Kimizuki said as he finally finished the last of his hot chocolate. I'm not really hungry so I'll just turn in."

"Me too…" Yoichi added.

"Good… just make sure you're up bright and early. I expect everyone to be armed and ready no later than nine o' clock tomorrow morning."

"Sure thing…" Kimizuki said. "Night, Shinoa."

"Good night…"

Later that night, after everyone had turned in, Yuichiro found herself unable to fall asleep in her guest quarters just yet. While grateful for Aya's willingness to give her and the rest of the squad information about the vampires they were going to confront tomorrow, something about the child's demeanor didn't seem right to her. Before Yuichiro left Aya at the civilian's quarters, she noticed that the younger girl avoided looking directly at her as if she was hiding something.

Something seemingly against her will…

Unable to shake off the nagging suspicion that Aya's information could be inaccurate, Yuichiro finally got up and picked up the phone on the small night table next to her bed, hoping the intended recipient of her call was still awake. ***4***

And to her relief, he was.

"Hello?" a masculine voice answered on the other side.

"Hi, is that you, Shinya? It's me, Yuichiro. I'm sorry to call you at such a late hour but there's a favor I need to ask."

"Yes, Yuu? What is it?

After a moment's hesitance, the ravenette took a deep breath before she finally spoke the request that was on her mind.

 **Footnotes:**

 **1\. In the English version of the manga/anime, Mitsuba's nickname is "Mitsu". In my AU, only Shinoa calls Mitsuba "Mi-chan", similar to how only Mikaela calls Yuichiro "Yuu-chan" since they are best friends.**

 **2\. In the canon story, the little girl Yuichiro rescues at Harajuku Station is not named. In my AU, I've decided to call her "Aya".**

 **3\. Omotesando is an avenue, subway station, and neighborhood in the Minato and Shibuya wards in Tokyo stretching from the Harajuku Station to Aoyama-Dori where Omotesando Station can be found.**

 **4\. In canon, one of the first things the vampires did after the Apocolypse was to cut off Japan's means of contacting the outside world by destroying all the phone lines and cell phone towers. In my AU, the humans managed to restore at least some of the phone lines so local communication via phone is still possible but restricted to smaller radiuses.**


	12. Old Scars and New Allies: Part II

**Disclaimer: I do not own Owari no Seraph (Seraph of the End). I write this for your enjoyment only. Keep in mind that my story is an alternate version of the Shibuya/Shinjuku arc with differences from the original; please refer to the footnotes at the end. Once again, I would like to thank my beta reader, ResidentialPsycho, for her help in making this fic possible. Enjoy and please review!**

 **Chapter 12: Old Scars and New Allies, Part II**

 **November 1, 2020**

 **Tokyo, Omotesando Subway Station Entrance**

"So this is where the fangs are keeping the humans prisoner?" Yuichiro asked as she looked at the entrance to what appeared to be the ruins of an abandoned subway station like the one in Harajuku.

Shinoa fished a note out of her uniform pocket and looked it over before answering. "Well, according to Aya, there are vampires hiding here, most likely they were assigned by their superiors to guard the human hostages."

"Did she say how many?" Kimizuki asked as he drew his twin swords slightly from the sheaths at his flanks.

"About seven."

"Seven? That means we're outnumbered," Mitsuba pointed out.

"I know. That's why we have to attack early during the day while they're still asleep, Mi-chan," Shinoa explained patiently.

"Wait, what about the humans?" Yoichi asked. "Won't the vamps try to hold them hostage if we attack?"

Mitsuba shot the brunette boy a look of annoyance. "We can't afford to worry about them, Yoichi. Not when the vamps already outnumber us. If we have to protect the humans while fighting the vampires, it will make our victory, not to mention survival, that much more difficult."

Yuichiro found herself appalled at the blonde girl's seemingly cold words. "As I recall, you also took an oath to protect humanity when you joined the Demon Army and MDC just like the rest of us, didn't you, Mitsu? There's more to being a member of an elite squad than just killing vampires."

Mitsuba spun around and glared at her. "Oh, really? That sure sounds funny coming from someone who can't even follow orders!"

Before Yuichiro could make an equally angry retort and start a fight, Shinoa cleared her throat and made a gesture for them to be silent. Although she was good at hiding her true thoughts and feelings behind a light-hearted demeanor, deep down, the purple-haired girl had the nagging feeling Guren intentionally put Mitsuba Sangu in her squad knowing her (and Yuu's) hot-headed and competitive natures to get back at Shinoa for all the times she was a nuisance to him.

But Shinoa wasn't ever going to give her superior the satisfaction of knowing she may have difficulty controlling her squad with Yuu and Mitsuba in it. Not if she can help it. If anything, she saw it as a challenge to improve her ability to command an unruly squad and make them work as a team.

"Ahem! Would you two mind keeping it down before you wake the vampires and ruin any chance we have of success AND survival? We're already outnumbered and if the vamps are awake and armed, we'll have no choice but to retreat."

"What? Are you serious, Shinoa?" Yuichiro demanded. The ravenette might not like losing battles but she hated running away even more.

Shinoa gave her an innocent smile. "Well, Miss Hyakuya, if you have the strength and knowledge to wield that new demon sword of yours properly, we would have a much better chance. But I'd rather complete the mission and destroy the enemy without someone getting injured. Or killed. Understand?"

"Oh, you mean like a flawless victory? Sounds good to me!" Yuichiro said excitedly while palming the hilt of her sword, her good mood having returned with her squad leader's cleverly chosen words. Just as Shinoa knew just what to say to annoy or aggravate Yuu, she also knew what to say to excite or pacify her as well.

Glad that she had prevented a fight between Yuichiro and Mitsuba that could have ruined their chances of successfully completing their mission and getting out of it alive, Shinoa continued with her instructions.

"Well, then, let's get going now, shall we? Remember, stay in formation, protect one another, and try not to get separated from the rest of the team. Your very life and ours may depend on it."

"Fine, fine, I get it," Yuichiro said, this time choosing to ignore Mitsuba's muttering of:

"I hope so."

Kimizuki and Yoichi said nothing but nodded in silent agreement before the squad with Shinoa in the lead, finally walked down the stairway leading to the underground subway.

Before coming to the station, the squad wondered where they would find the humans the vampires were holding prisoner if they were hidden but soon found that there was no need; as soon as Shinoa and the others went downstairs to the underground subway, they found people ranging from children to young adults slumped against every column and wall.

Upon seeing the strangers dressed in dark uniforms, the prisoners stared at them in wide-eyed wonder as well as a bit of suspicion while whispering amongst themselves.

"Who are those people?"

"Those uniforms… could they be from the Japanese Imperial Demon Army?"

"There's so many of them…" Yoichi breathed.

"I don't get it…" Kimizuki said as he looked at the dirty and sickly-looking people around him. "Why don't they try to escape while the vampires are absent?"

"It's because they can't," Yuichiro answered sharply after having figured it out quickly. "Unlike us, they aren't armed and probably don't know how to fight, so they'd have no way of defending themselves against the Horsemen of John should they attempt to leave this place. Isn't that right, Shinoa?"

"It is, Yuichiro. I'm impressed you figured it out so quickly considering that this is only the second time you've gone that far beyond the walls since Guren took you in. Not counting the first time you went to Shinjuku with him, that is."

Yuichiro snorted. "It's not that hard to put two and two together, Shinoa. Back in Sanguinem, the kids didn't put too much thought into escaping because they knew they had little, if any, chance of surviving in the outside world without the vampires' protection. Only Mika ever thought otherwise…"

Yoichi blinked in confusion. "Who's Mika?"

Yuichiro frowned slightly at the younger boy's question even though it was an innocent one. Hearing someone else speak her lost orphanage brother's name while looking at the white livestock uniforms the prisoners were wearing reminded her that not too long ago, she was just like them. Until she finally escaped Sanguinem and met Guren.

Something that wouldn't have even been possible if not for Mikaela's optimism and careful planning.

"Mika… Mikeala was one of the kids I lived with when I myself was a prisoner of the vampires just like these people are now," Yuichiro answered quietly. Before her curious young friend could ask the question they both knew was on his mind, she answered:

"He's dead. Along with the rest of my previous family. He died trying to protect me from the vampire lord who massacred the others right in front of us. If not for him, I wouldn't even be standing here now."

"Oh… I'm so sorry, Yuu."

"Yeah, me too…" Kimizuki added with sympathy apparent in his eyes.

Now that he knew a little more of Yuichiro's history, her insistence of him spending whatever time he could with his own little sister made more sense. Because he never knew when or if he would lose her.

Even Mitsuba refrained from making any snarky remarks having already heard the other girl's tragic story the night before. Something Shinoa was secretly grateful for.

"Anyway, let's head for floor B3 where the vampires are stationed at once," Shinoa ordered calmly while making a gesture to a stairway lead further beneath the station.

"Right," Yuichiro agreed as she tried to return her thoughts to the task at hand.

Without another word, the squad followed Shinoa downstairs to B3 single file. As soon as they were downstairs, Yuichiro quickly started to scan the area with her sharp eyes for the enemy. At a first glance, the place appeared to be empty but the ravenette knew better than to let her guard down while in enemy territory.

And surely enough, Yuichiro quickly caught sight of a cloaked common vampire stepping out from behind one of the columns. With his superhuman senses, it wasn't long before the creature noticed her and the rest of the squad as well.

Like Yuu, Mitsuba was also quick to notice when the vampire made eye contact with them and cursed.

"Shit! We've been spotted! Draw your weapons and attack; we have to kill him before he calls for back-up!"

Yuichiro smirked. "Way ahead of you, Mitsu!" she said with a touch of confidence, not unlike Guren's before quickly withdrawing Asuramaru from its sheath and charged towards the vampire as fast as her enhanced demonic powers would allow.

Before the blonde girl could protest, Yuichiro had already driven her sword through the creature's chest, right through his heart.

"You little livestock bitch!" he snarled.

Instead of getting angry, Yuichiro gave him a smug grin. "Don't forget this little 'livestock bitch' is sending you straight to hell, loser!"

And with a quick swipe of her sword, the ravenette sent her victim to the other side in a flurry of embers, just as Guren did when he saved her from the pink-haired rogue vampire after her three story fall weeks ago.

While Kimizuki, Yoichi, and even Shinoa looked at Yuichiro in admiration, Mitsuba was not impressed. Whether it was out of frustration for the other girl's constant recklessness or envy towards her stealth and fighting skills, Mitsuba felt the uncontrollable urge to strike Yuichiro again.

"Dammit, Yuu, what the hell is wrong with you?! Didn't I tell you not to take independent action?!" the enraged blonde girl shouted as she marched towards Yuichiro before drawing back a fist and aiming it at her jaw.

Like she had done with Kimizuki, Yuichiro quickly lifted her arm and used the flat of her palm to guide Mitsuba's fist away from her face and into the open air next to them. Though they had been working together for less than two days, the ravenette found her new squad mate's temper tantrums as well as actions to be quite predictable.

"Holy shit, Mitsu, what's your problem? In case you haven't noticed, I did _exactly_ as you said which was to draw my weapon and kill the vampire before he could call for back-up," Yuichiro said coolly.

The blonde girl's face burned with embarrassment when she realized her rebellious squad mate was absolutely right. It looked like Yuichiro _could_ understand and follow orders to the last letter if she so chose.

Even so, Mitsuba could not bring herself to apologize. Her stubborn pride would not allow her to.

Not like there was any chance to do so. Only a split second later, Mitsuba saw Yuichiro's green eyes widen before she felt herself being grabbed by the wrist and roughly flung behind the other girl.

Thinking that Yuichiro had thrown her to get even for what she tried to do, Mitsuba's temper flared again and she was about to shout curses at the other girl. But as soon as she stood up and turned around, she saw to her surprise, Yuichiro engaging in combat with another vampire. From the look of things, it appeared that Yuu had thrown Mitsuba to safety before the creature could stab her in the back.

"Haha, just the kind of fun I needed after all these months of boring guard duty!" the ravenette laughed gleefully as she swung her sword and destroyed that vampire as well by slicing him in half before his corpse became a pile of ash.

Mitsuba found herself staring at the other girl incredulously. "Seriously? Is this some kind of game to her? Where does she get that attitude from? And how could she be THAT good after just receiving her cursed gear?"

Shinoa merely chuckled and clapped her hands as if she found the whole scenario amusing instead of alarming. "Well, Miss Hyakuya _is_ the protégé of Lieutenant Colonel Ichinose. It's only natural for her to be that strong and that good."

Mitsuba blinked. "Is it also natural for her to be just as much of an ass as him as well?" she demanded.

Yoichi found himself laughing in amusement at the blonde girl's question. "Well, they do say the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree, Miss Sangu."

"And besides, confidence is a good thing. So long as you have the strength and skills to back it up. At least that's what my own parents used to say," Kimizuki added with an amused smile.

Mitsuba crossed her arms and shot her nose up into the air. "Hmph! Having skills is useful. Being a smartass about it isn't. And besides, I'm _much_ stronger and better than her. Especially since I've been in the MDC since I was fourteen!"

Yuichiro, who had returned to join the squad after eliminating the second vampire, gave a bit of a rude snicker at the blonde girl's suggestion.

"Is that so, Mitsu? In case you haven't noticed, I've made good use of my cursed gear real quick by destroying two vampires in less than five minutes. And I've only recently been accepted into the MDC. How long did it take _you_ to be as good as you are now? A few years? Why don't we have a little duel right now to see who's the stronger one after all?"

Mitsuba gritted her teeth and tightened her grip on her battle axe at Yuichiro's taunt and was about to accept the other girl's challenge when she suddenly heard the sound of glass shattering behind her.

The blonde girl barely had time to turn around and face her attacker before she found herself being grabbed by the throat and lifted several feet off the ground, making her gag. Moving her eyes around, Mitsuba saw the rest of the squad being surrounded by vampires, ten in all, including the ones they fought yesterday.

"Mi-chan!" Shinoa cried as she tried to find a way to bypass the vampire in front of her to aid Mitsuba but could not find an opening, especially since the entire squad was surrounded.

"They're the vampires from yesterday!" Kimizuki cried as he instantly recognized the leader who ordered Yuichiro to be captured.

In addition to the same vampires they fought before, there were a few new ones they did not recognize.

After quickly scanning the room with his eyes, Yoichi was finally able to figure out the enemy's numbers.

"There are ten in all! But that's not right! Aya said there was only supposed to be seven or so!" ***1***

In response to the brunette boy's comment, the leader of the vampire squad laughed. "Is that what she told you? Well, I didn't expect otherwise…"

"You bastards, using an innocent child like that! How low can you monsters get?!" Yuichiro snarled.

Before her leader could answer, Anya stepped in front of him with her lance drawn to confront Yuichiro.

"This one's mine, Damien," ***2*** she said before giving the ravenette a sadistic smile. Knowing his subordinate wanted to pay Yuichiro back for her insolent comment yesterday, the vampire leader stepped back and allowed her to say her piece.

"Don't talk as if you have the right to judge us, human. You speak of vampires as if we were vile monsters with no honor but the truth is your kind is really no better; you won't hesitate to betray other humans if someone dear to you is threatened or taken hostage."

Yuichiro gritted her teeth as she tightened her hold on Asuramaru. "So it is as I suspected. You are wrong about one thing, however: at least most of us don't commit vile acts without a reason. You bastards kill just to kill. Because that's all you monsters know how to do."

"And what if it is?" the red-haired vampire taunted. "Not like any of that will concern you anymore since you're all going to die here and now."

"Heh, don't be so sure, you monster. How about we make a deal? Tell your friend over there to release Mitsuba. Do as I say and I'll let you live!" Yuichiro sneered.

Frustrated with the other girl's display of arrogant confidence, Mitsuba shouted to Yuichiro as loud as the vampire's grip on her throat will allow.

"Forget about me, Yuu, I'm done for! You and the others get out of here while you still can!"

Yuichiro snorted. Were it not for the enemy in front of her and the fact that it would be unwise to take her eyes off of Anya for even a second, the ravenette would have given Mitsuba a condescending look.

"You give up way too easily, Mitsu! How did you even manage to get into the MDC? No matter, if there's one thing you should've learned about me by now is that I'll _never_ abandon my friends or go down without a fight!"

And without another word, Yuichiro raised Asuramaru and charged at Anya in a head-on frontal assault while disregarding the fact that she and her squad were completely outnumbered.

Shinoa nodded and gave the signal for Kimizuki and Yoichi to follow suit. Even if they had no chance of victory, she didn't want her squad to go down without a fight.

 _This is the end for us…_ the purple-haired girl thought grimly. _But if we're going to die anyway, I'd rather we die fighting!_

Seeing Shinoa's squad make the first move, the ten vampires surrounding them prepared to close in and make the kill like a pack of wolves surrounding a handful of sheep. The vampire holding Mitsuba was about to tighten his grip on her throat to break her neck when he suddenly heard the sound of something flying through the air before it sliced cleanly through his wrist, severing his hand from his arm.

"What the…?!" he began when he saw Mitsuba drop to the floor on her bottom with a loud thud, his severed hand with its fingers still wrapped around her throat.

Looking over the creature's shoulder, Mitsuba gasped when she saw what looked like a dark metallic fan with sharp blade-like edges flying through the air, likely the object that just sliced off her assailant's hand. Seeing the shocked expression on Mitsuba's face, the vampire spun around just in time to see the fan flying towards his direction again at breakneck speed before severing his head from his body as well.

"What's going on here?" Damien demanded as soon as he saw his follower's corpse quickly turn to ash.

From the shocked looks on the human's faces, he could tell that their guess was as good as his but before he could say anything else, another vampire pointed towards the shadows of the columns near the entrance to B3.

"Sir, someone else is here! More humans!"

Everyone in the area fell silent when they heard a soft chuckle from the shadows. "Haha… it looks like we're just in time for the fun!" a male voice exclaimed before the owner stepped forward into the light.

Shinoa and Mitsuba gasped when the recognized their blue-haired classmate from school. The same one who masterminded the idiotic skirt-pulling prank on Yuichiro three years prior.

"Satoshi Hiwatari?" Shinoa gasped. "What are you doing here? You weren't supposed to test for your demon weapon until tomorrow!" she exclaimed when she saw a shining katana with a gold-tone blade in the blue-haired boy's hand, no doubt his cursed gear.

Instead of answering her question right away, Satoshi merely gave her a good-natured smile. "Happy to see you too, Miss Hiragi. Unfortunately, we've got more pressing issues at hand," he said before snapping his fingers to summon the rest of his own squad.

With the exception of Yuichiro, everyone watched in surprise as four more humans stepped out of the darkness until they were completely visible to the vampires as well as Shinoa's squad.

"I don't believe it…" Shinoa breathed. "Daisuke, Takeshi, Risa, and Riku!"

"That's right!" Risa said cheerfully as she raised one of her arms into the air and easily caught the fan that sliced off the hand and head of the vampire who tried to kill Mitsuba.

Upon closer inspection, Mitsuba noticed that Risa had a second fan in her other hand, making her realize that the brunette girl possessed a pair of them. Like Satoshi, who looked to be the squad leader, Risa, Riku, Daisuke, and Takeshi were all clad in the uniforms of the MDC and armed with their own unique demon weapons. While Satoshi had a katana like Yuichiro, Risa flashed a pair of war fans, Daisuke was armed with a whip, Takeshi had a crossbow, and Riku sported a pair of sai.

Instead of sharing her squad mates' shocked expressions, including Shinoa's, Yuichiro merely grinned at Satoshi and his squad as if she had been expecting them all along.

"Took you long enough, Sato!" she scolded playfully. "I was wondering if you were ever going to get here!"

Satoshi grinned. "Heh! Well, excuse me, Miss Hyakuya! Major General Hiragi sent me and my squad after you right after we passed our own demon aptitude test this morning. We didn't even get a break! But enough of that, we've got some vamps to exterminate!"

"Right on!" Yuichiro agreed as she turned to Shinoa and nodded.

Now that Shinoa's squad had the support of Satoshi Hiwatari and his squad, the tables have turned and it was them who outnumbered the vampires ten to nine, thus greatly increasing their chances of survival and victory as well as boosting their morale.

Damien, however, was still not impressed. Even if they were outnumbered by the two squads, their opponents were still only human and inexperienced demon wielders from what Satoshi had just confessed.

"This changes nothing! Kill the humans!" he ordered his subordinates before pointing to Yuichiro. "Except for that one. Capture her!"

"I refuse, Damien! She's mine!" Anya insisted with a snarl without turning her back to Yuichiro. "No insolent human ever insults me and gets away with it!"

Instead of being angry at his subordinate's defiance, the vampire leader merely smirked. "You misheard me, Anya. I said capture her. We need that human alive. Not necessarily whole. Simply alive."

"With pleasure…" the red-haired vampire sneered before moving in to attack Yuichiro with her lance.

As soon as they saw her move, everyone in the room chose an opponent before attacking, turning the entire B3 into a battlefield.

Were it not for Anya's insistence on fighting Yuichiro to exert revenge on the girl for insulting her the other day, Yuichiro might have chosen to take on the leader of the vampire squad himself since it had always been a habit of hers to seek out the strongest opponents to hone her own fighting skills.

As if reading her mind, Risa rushed towards Yuichiro's direction. "Leave her to me, Yuu!" she insisted as she threw one of her war fans at Anya where the blades embedded itself into her back. "You take care of the leader; if we can at least take him along with his strongest fighters out, the rest should retreat!"

Yuichiro grinned. "Thanks, Risa but you shouldn't have!"

The brunette girl winked and Yuichiro found it amazing how the other girl could still keep her cheerful demeanor even during the heat of battle.

"It's ok, Yuu, I owe you one for saving me from that other vampire at school. Since then, I've been training my hardest to get into the MDC so that I can protect others, not the other way around!"

Anya sneered as she reached behind and attempted to pull Risa's war fan out of her back. "Another insolent human bitch!" she snarled as she turned her attention to Risa. "How about I tear your tongue out and shove it down your throat as well?"

"Heh, not gonna happen!" Risa laughed. "Go now, Yuu! I'll take care of her!"

"Right!"

After Yuichiro left to go after Damien, Anya abandoned her effort to pull remove the war fan from her back and charged towards Risa, intending to impale the brunette girl with her lance. Risa easily read her move and quickly summoned her fans back into both her hands before crisscrossing her arms and throwing them at Anya again. The enchanted war fans moved quickly and before the red-haired vampire could even reach Risa, she was sliced in half and her body turned to ash before disappearing into thin air.

"Two down and eight to go!" she exclaimed before rushing to aid Riku who was fighting another vampire alone.

As soon as she saw her twin sister join the fray, Riku shot her a bit of a condescending look before saying: "Took you long enough, Risa!"

Ignoring Riku's verbal jab, which was quite normal in their sisterly relationship, Risa merely smiled and asked. "And how is my big sister liking her new cursed gear?"

"Oh, I love them!" the other girl joked as she skillfully managed to impale the vampire she was fighting through the wrist of his sword hand with one of her sai before stabbing him clean through the head with the other, immobilizing the creature. Before the vampire could shake Riku's weapons off, Risa took the opportunity to decapitate him with her fans.

"Good, another one down!" Risa exclaimed. "But this isn't over yet, we still gotta help the others until all the vampires are dead or retreat!"

"Right!" Riku agreed before the Harada sisters finally parted to assist their other squad mates.

Like Yoichi, Takeshi was a long-ranged fighter with his crossbow and had chosen to fight alongside the other brunette boy to provide back-up support for both of their squads.

After taking a clean shot at one of the vampires Kimizuki was fighting alongside Daisuke, Takeshi asked:

"So how are you liking that bow of yours, Saotome? For someone who's only had it a few days, you're a pretty good shot!"

Yoichi gave a light-hearted laugh at the other boy's comment before firing an arrow towards another vampire engaged in a duel with Shinoa as well as a second arrow towards one fighting Mitsuba. Always so modest and humble, he wasn't comfortable with or used to being praised.

"I'm not that great, Saehara. But I'm pretty impressed at your sniping skills! Were you tutored by Major General Hiragi? I heard he's the best sniper in the Demon Army!"

"I wish!" Takeshi laughed. "Unlike you, I just passed the aptitude test and got my cursed gear this morning. And as soon as I got it, the major general sent our squad after yours right away, so there was no time for me to ask for a shooting lesson from him!"

"I see. Well, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to ask him one day should we ever find the time!"

"Great idea. I'm sure he can give us a few pointers!"

Meanwhile, Yuichiro and Satoshi were attempting to take down Damien, the leader of the vampires they were fighting. Naturally, he was stronger than the rest of his subordinates and would require a bit more effort to destroy.

Unlike Yuichiro, Satoshi did not like taking lives unnecessarily, even if they were vampires. "Tell your followers to retreat," the blue-haired boy said calmly as he pointed his sword in Damien's direction. "Do that and no one else has to die."

The ravenette found herself staring at her fighting partner incredulously. "Have you got a few screws loose, Sato? These are vampires, you can't reason with them!"

Damien chuckled and gave both his attackers a sly grin, flashing his razor sharp fangs. "Your friend is right, boy. Does a wolf run away from its prey? Never!"

"Ha, prey?" Yuichiro sneered. "Look around you, bloodsucker. Who's really the prey? Normally, I don't like to let mine get away but I'm feeling a bit generous today so I'll agree with my friend here and let you go if you order the other vamps to back off. If not, you can all die here."

"An empty threat, my dear," Damien said coolly as he brandished his sword at both her and Satoshi, not looking the slightest bit bothered at being outnumbered. "Anya was right; you do have quite a mouth on you and it's about time someone taught you your place."

Now that the vampire leader had made it clear he had no intention of ordering his subordinates to retreat, Yuichiro gave Satoshi a look signaling that they must go all-out to take down the monster before them. Taking the hint, Satoshi nodded as he closed his eyes to call for his demon's assistance while Yuichiro followed suit.

"Krad, lend me your power!" ***3***

"Asuramaru, lend me your power!"

Once they felt the power of their demons flow through their bodies, Yuichiro and Satoshi attacked together, almost in sync, striking at the vampire leader charging towards them in an "X" pattern with their blades, one glowing gold, the other green. Together, they managed to slice Damien in half at the waist and he died without another word.

Once their leader was gone, the remaining four vampires panicked and finally started to retreat. Both squads considered going after them but Satoshi and Shinoa ordered them to halt.

"No, let them go! Right now, our priority is helping the civilians!" Shinoa ordered.

"She's right," Satoshi agreed. "We've already fulfilled our mission and without losing any of our numbers so there is no need for any more bloodshed."

As soon as they heard their leaders' order, both squads lowered their weapons in obedience, even Yuichiro.

"Fine, Shinoa. For once, I agree with you. Just one question: how are we going to protect an entire community of civilians all the way back to Shibuya with just the ten of us?"

Before Shinoa could say she wasn't sure, she felt Satoshi's hand on her shoulder. The blue-haired boy gave her a reassuring smile before answering Yuu's question.

"It's all right, help is on the way. The major general saw this coming and has sent troops to escort the civilians back to Shibuya."

Shinoa blinked and looked at the blue-haired boy for a moment before her face broke out into a smile.

"My favorite brother does think of everything, doesn't he?"

 **SSSSSS**

"So how did you and your squad know we were going to be outnumbered?" Shinoa asked Satoshi while they and both of their squads were assisting the troops Shinya sent in gathering the civilians outside.

"We didn't. But apparently, Yuichiro did. All I know was that Major General Hiragi suddenly showed up in my homeroom class and ordered me, Daisuke, and Takeshi to take the aptitude test early because we were needed. He chose me to be squad leader but since we still needed two more people to be a complete squad, the major general picked Risa and Riku. He said that you recommended them and I'm glad you did."

The purple-haired girl smiled as she looked in Yuichiro's direction. It wasn't hard for her to put two and two together. Somehow, the other girl had been able to predict the vampires' trap and asked Shinya for help which came in the form of sending Satoshi and his squad as back-up.

"I see…" she said. "That was very clever of Yuu. I only wished she told me about it since I _am_ her squad leader."

"Well, I can understand why she didn't," Satoshi explained as he removed his glasses and wiped them with a cloth he pulled from a pocket of his uniform. "It was necessary for you and your squad to remain ignorant of the plan. If the vampires had any idea we were coming, they would have called for even more back-up and both of our squads would have been outnumbered."

Shinoa nodded. "Hmm…you're right. Since you put it that way, Yuichiro's action made sense. Thank you, Mr. Hiwatari. Please excuse me for a minute, I'd like to talk to Miss Hyakuya."

"Of course, Miss Hiragi."

After leaving Satoshi, Shinoa made her way to Yuichiro who was tending to a young married couple. Unlike most of the other civilians, they did not appear very happy or grateful for their liberation.

"Why did you kill those vampires?! Now that they're gone, what'll happen to us? Do you expect the Demon Army to take us in? Their own demographic regulations will not allow us to live in Shibuya or Shinjuku so how will we survive outside the walls with all those monsters around?" the husband demanded.

"Dear…" his wife began as she attempted to pacify him but the man was not to be deterred.

"You kids are just pampered, high-class brats who grew up behind the comfort and safety of the city walls. And you come out here thinking to play the heroes without considering what will become of us!" he continued as he pointed an accusing finger at Yuichiro.

Before Yuichiro could respond, they both heard a familiar voice as well as the sound of someone running in their direction.

"Dad!"

Turning, the couple, Yuu, and Shinoa saw Aya, who had arrived with the troops, running towards her father before throwing her arms around his waist.

"Please don't be mad at them, they saved me yesterday and just wanted to help!" the child pleaded as she buried her face in the shirt of his livestock uniform.

"Aya…" Yuichiro said softly and was about to apologize before she felt Shinoa's hand on her arm.

"Let me handle this, Yuu," her squad leader said before turning to the couple and their young daughter.

"You are wrong about one thing, sir," she began. "Shibuya is actually expanding so it should be no trouble for a small community such as yours to find shelter. I'm sure the Demon Army would not have sent us to rescue you if this was not so."

"W…what? Really?" he asked hopefully.

"Yes…" Risa answered as she and Riku walked up from behind them and offered to take the couple and their daughter to join the rest of the civilians who were being loaded onto the trucks heading back to Shibuya.

"Come with us, the Demon Army will protect you, I promise," Riku said gently.

The Harada sisters spoke reassuringly, putting the little family at ease and they allowed themselves to be led away but not before Aya's father apologized to Yuichiro.

"I'm sorry… for what I said earlier. Thank you for saving my daughter…"

Yuichiro smiled in understanding. "It's all right, sir. It's not like I don't understand how you feel. I was once a prisoner of the vampires too. But I don't want to bore you with all the details. I'm sure life will get better for you from this day on."

Aya briefly left her father's side and gave Yuichiro a hug which she gladly returned.

"Thank you, Miss Hyakuya…for everything."

"No need to thank me, Aya. Everything worked out, didn't it? Go on, your new home awaits you. Perhaps someday, we'll meet again."

"I hope so too!" the child giggled before releasing Yuu and running back to her parents. As they were being led away, Aya waved goodbye to her raven-haired rescuer one last time.

As soon as the little family was out of sight, Shinoa grinned and playfully punched Yuichiro in the arm.

"Looks like you've got a way with kids, Yuu. I think you'll make a great mother one day!"

Yuichiro snorted. "No way, Shinoa. I've got no time for motherhood since all of it is going to be spent exterminating vampires."

Shinoa laughed. "Oh come now, that's bull, Yuu. Believe it or not, there are plenty of women in the Demon Army who are mothers."

"Well, those ranks won't be including me anytime soon," Yuichiro shot back as she palmed the hilt of her sword.

Somehow, she wasn't totally convinced of Shinoa's words. How could a female soldier possible perform her duties while burdened with something like children? The thought of her as a swordmaiden nearly bursting out of her uniform by lingering pregnancy weight was ludicrous, to say the least.

Shinoa shrugged her shoulders. "Whatever you say, Miss Hyakuya…" she said in a sing-song tone as she looked towards one of the trucks where Kimizuki and Daisuke were helping another group of civilians board.

"So is that all of them?" Daisuke asked as he wiped his brow after closing the door of one of the trucks.

"Yeah…" Kimizuki answered. "By the way, thank you for coming to save our asses back there."

"No problem!" the red-haired boy said cheerfully. "We are members of the same army, after all; it's our duty to look out for _all_ our fellow soldiers, not just our immediate squad. So I take it you'll be heading to Shinjuku next?"

"Yeah…" the pink-haired boy answered. "You coming?"

"Of course. It looks like we'll be working together for a bit longer."

"I'm glad. With all the shit going on, we'll be needing all help we can get. Do you think they'll be a draft of the civilians from the walls too?"

Daisuke shook his head. "I'm not sure. That would depend on how big this war gets and how long it drags on. For now, the Demon Army is composed of volunteers only so I take that as a good sign."

"I suppose you're right," Kimizuki agreed. "Well, it looks like we're going to have to part ways for now. It's best for squads to travel separately to avoid attracting the attention of the vamps."

"Right…I guess this is good-bye for now," Daisuke said before offering Kimizuki his hand.

"Yes. Good luck to you and your squad, Daisuke. It looks like your leader has a good head on his shoulders," Kimizuki said as he shook the red-haired boy's hand.

Daisuke chuckled. "He does. For as long as I've known him, Sato has always been a serious, no-nonsense kind of guy. That combined with his intellect makes him a natural for squad leader."

"I can't argue with that. I wish I can say the same of my own squad leader. I honestly have no idea why Lieutenant Colonel Ichinose chose her. She acts like a goof ball most of the time which kind of worries me."

"Haha, is that so? Well, I'm sure your superior has his reasons and I think you should trust his decision."

"You're right, Daisuke. Anyway, good luck and have a safe trip."

"You too, Kimizuki."

 **Footnotes:**

 **1\. In canon, Shinoa's squad were confronted by eight additional vampires after male!Yuu destroyed the first two they confronted upon entering B3. In my AU, I've increased the vampire numbers slightly to ten.**

 **2\. The vampire squad who confronted Shinoa's squad in Harajuku and Omotesando were unnamed but for my AU, I've taken the liberty to name at least two of them to make their encounters with fem!Yuu a little more personal.**

 **3\. In the anime/manga, DN Angel, Kuraddo Hikari (Krad), was an entity similar to Daaku Maushī (Phantom Dark), who lived inside Satoshi Hiwatari as his tamer. He is Dark's opposite in many ways, including his name ('Dark' spelled backward), having blond hair, wearing white attire, and always speaking very politely using an extremely formal speech pattern. He is an entity of unknown origin who has appeared in the Hikari family for the last 400 years (300 in anime). For my AU, Krad is Satoshi's demon contractor/cursed gear.**


	13. A Close Call and Unexpected Encounter

**Disclaimer: I do not own Owari no Seraph (Seraph of the End). I write this for your enjoyment only. This story is an alternate version of the Shibuya/Shinjuku arc with differences from the original. Please refer to the footnotes at the end. Once again, I would like to thank my beta reader, ResidentialPsycho for her help in making this fic possible.**

 **Chapter 13: An Unexpected Encounter and Close Call**

"Um, Kimizuki, are you sure it's safe to put those cords in your mouth like that?" Yuichiro asked in concern as she folded her arms and rested them on the window sill of the hummer Kimizuki was attempting to hot-wire from the driver's seat inside.

"It's ok, Yuu. I know what I'm doing so don't worry about me," the pink-haired boy assured her, his voice partly muffled by a cord he was holding carefully between his teeth.

Yuichiro frowned slightly as her brows furrowed in concern, but she said nothing. The squad had been walking almost non-stop for the past few hours after parting with Satoshi Hiwatari's squad. As much as they would have liked to travel together, both squads agreed that it was best to do so separately to avoid drawing the attention of the vampires. Not long after, Shinoa's squad discovered an old hummer on the side of the road.

Except for Kimizuki, nobody thought anything of the run-down vehicle since they assumed it didn't work anyway but the pink-haired boy insisted that he could get it up and running again and convinced Shinoa to let him try.

And while Yuichiro tried her best to have faith in her comrades, she couldn't help but worry about the way Kimizuki was trying to repair the hummer. Though she was no expert on automobile repair, Yuichiro was pretty sure that what her friend was doing wasn't exactly safe. But if he was successful, it would save them much needed time and energy getting to Shinjuku than they would on foot.

"Have you ever done this before?" she asked instead.

"Actually, I have. My father taught me. He also taught me how to drive and read maps when I was much younger."

"Oh, you can drive too? That's amazing! My parents never taught me but that was because they died when I was very young. And the fact that they didn't want me to leave the house without their knowledge or consent."

Upon hearing the younger girl's confession, Kimizuki paused from his task for a brief moment and looked at her in surprise.

"What about your guardian? Didn't he ever teach you?"

Yuichiro shook her head. "Not really. Every time we trained away from home, Guren would always do the driving. I did ask him to teach me once, but he said I didn't need to know how to drive. Personally, I believe he didn't trust me not to crash his cars," she joked. ***1***

"Or maybe he was just being very protective of you and didn't want to see you get hurt unnecessarily," the pink-haired boy suggested as he recalled his brief talk with the lieutenant colonel nearly two weeks before he, Yuichiro, and Yoichi took their demon aptitude tests.

And from the way Guren spoke of his ward, Kimizuki surmised that he saw Yuichiro as more than a child under his care.

But the pink-haired boy thought it best to keep that opinion to himself.

Not knowing what else to say, Yuichiro sighed and nodded in agreement. "I guess you're right. But I'm a big girl now and I think the more I know how to do, the better. Since we're here, would you please show me how to drive? It would mean a lot to me if you did, Kimizuki."

Kimizuki nearly dropped the cord in his mouth at Yuichiro's request and tried to avoid making eye contact with her so that she wouldn't see how much he was blushing.

 _What's wrong with me?_ He thought. _It's so not like me to get all worked up over a girl…._

"Kimizuki? Are you all right?"

"I-I'm fine!" the pink-haired boy stammered as he finally released the cord between his teeth as soon as he heard the hummer's engine start to run, indicating that his attempt to hot-wire it was successful.

"Did I make you uncomfortable with my request?" Yuichiro asked in concern as she tilted her head sideways and gave him a curious look.

Kimizuki shook his head. "No, it's not that. I'd love to show you how to drive, really. But I worry about how your guardian would react if you got hurt doing it."

The ravenette giggled. "Oh, is that what you're afraid of? Don't worry about me. I'll be careful. And I take full responsibility for my own safety so if I did get hurt, I'd tell Guren it was my fault so that he wouldn't blame you."

Kimizuki was silent for a moment as he thought over Yuichiro's request. What she said sounded reasonable. And he had to admit that it would be helpful to have at least one more member of their squad who could drive so that they would not be completely dependent on him in that department.

"Ok…if you insist, Yuu. Just give me a minute to clean up a little, and I'll show you the basics of driving. It's really not that hard once you get the hang of it."

"Oh, you will? Really? Thanks so much!" Yuichiro squealed as her green eyes glittered with excitement.

The pink-haired boy felt a smile tug at his lips and couldn't help thinking how cute his squad mate looked when she got excited like that. Smiling was not something Shiho Kimizuki did often since the death of his parents and the beginning of his struggle to ensure Mirai's survival as well as his own.

Once he made sure the front seats of the hummer was cleared of any debris, Kimizuki made a gesture for Yuichiro to sit in the driver side before he began to explain the basics to her from his seat on the passenger side.

"Now before you can drive, it's important that you know how to start the car properly," he began. "Normally, it would require putting a key here in this spot on the lower-right side of the steering wheel but since the key to this hummer is not available, I had to improvise by putting these two cords together."

"I see…"

"Fortunately for us, this vehicle is an automatic which makes it easier for a beginner like you to learn how to drive. Stick shifts are a bit more complex to use and not as convenient, so the majority of people prefer to use automatics. Unless you're driving a sports car, that is."

"Ahh… interesting. Although not as convenient, stick shifts give you more control over the car which is ideal in the case of sports cars, especially if you like drifting and racing."

Kimizuki raised a brow. "Yes, that's right. How did you know?"

"Well, my guardian's best friend is a huge fan of sports cars," Yuichiro confessed. "He used to tell me all about them. Shinya said it was a dream of his to own a Ferrari when he was a teenager. He was also very fond of motorcycles and would give me rides on his Harley Davidson after my shooting lessons. Of course, Shinya would also make me promise not to tell Guren since we both knew how overprotective he was of me."

"I didn't know you were on a first-name basis with your guardian and the major general. You must be quite close to them if they allow you to address them so informally, Yuu" Kimizuki said in astonishment.

Yuichiro shrugged her shoulders. "To be honest, I was raised and tutored by everyone in Guren's squad. I lived in the same house with him, Sayuri, and Shigure. But Shinya, Goshi, and Mito also chipped in and helped with my training by teaching me what they knew as well so that I would be a well-rounded fighter. You could say I was lucky to have the luxury of one-on-one training with each of them or I wouldn't have been able to keep up with everyone in the MDC since I missed so much schooling when I was a prisoner of the vamps."

"And from what I've seen so far, they did an excellent job. If you can do most of what your guardian's squad can do, driving should be easy for you."

"I hope so!" Yuichiro said cheerfully before becoming serious again. "But seriously, I think the more I can do the better."

"True," Kimizuki agreed. "In a normal world, I'd have to teach you how to read traffic signs and obey traffic rules before I can teach you how to drive. But fortunately, none of that is relevant anymore since the world is scarce of humans who can drive so running into traffic isn't going to be an issue. Neither is being caught driving without a license."

The ravenette couldn't help laughing as soon as she caught on to her squad mate's joke. Even though they both knew the state of the world was no laughing matter, Yuichiro and Kimizuki could agree that any reason to laugh and smile was a welcomed one.

"I had no idea you could crack a joke, Kimizuki. You're usually always so serious," Yuichiro said after the moment had passed.

"Well, I'm glad you enjoyed it. Now let's get down to business, shall we?" the pink-haired boy reminded her but not before giving a more genuine smile. Although he wasn't a conceited person by any means, Kimizuki had to admit that Yuichiro's praise made him somewhat proud.

As for Shinoa, Mitsuba, and Yoichi, who were sitting at an outdoor table of an abandoned café not too far away, the trio watched Kimizuki and Yuichiro talking inside the hummer from a distance while snacking on some field rations that they packed earlier.

"I wonder what those two are talking about?" Yoichi asked curiously.

"Well, knowing her, Yuichiro probably bugged Kimizuki into teaching her how to drive," Shinoa answered with a shrug of her shoulders.

"Really? If so, do NOT allow Yuu to drive us to Shinjuku; you've already indulged her too much by allowing her to act independently twice during our last two missions, Shinoa" Mitsuba warned.

Shinoa sighed. "Yes, yes, I know. You don't want Miss Hyakuya to keep pushing her infamous luck. I did hear you the first time, Mi-chan. But you need not worry about that. I'll be driving us to Shinjuku myself."

Mitsuba was startled. "Wait, _you're_ going to drive? I had no idea you even knew how!"

Shinoa laughed. "Well, Ni-san did give me a few lessons here and there. I haven't been practicing much, but I'm sure that won't be a problem. Driving is pretty easy once you get the hang of it."

Mitsuba didn't know why but for some reason, she didn't find her squad leader's words very assuring.

"You know what, Shinoa? I'd feel better if someone more experienced does the driving like Kimizuki. In fact, I'm going to _insist_ that he does until you and Yuichiro have a little more experience," the blonde girl said matter of factly as she got up and walked over to where Kimizuki and Yuichiro were.

After Mitsuba had left, Yoichi turned to Shinoa with a look of concern on his face. "Do you think we should try to convince her that Yuu should be able to drive just fine? I mean, she does so well at everything else."

Shinoa shook her head. "It's ok, Yoichi. Mi-chan may be a bit critical of Yuichiro but she'll eventually come around."

Before the brunette boy could answer, both of them nearly jolted from their seats when they heard a scream in the distance and turned their heads just in time to see Mitsuba scrambling to get away from the hummer that Kimizuki had just repaired when it suddenly backed up and nearly hit her. ***2***

After witnessing the scene, Shinoa groaned and face-palmed.

"Spoke too soon…" she muttered.

"Shit, what was that?!" Yuichiro cried when she suddenly heard someone screaming from behind the hummer as soon as she attempted to back up like Kimizuki had instructed.

The pink-haired boy turned his head and looked over his shoulder just in time to see Mitsuba jumping out of the way and barely managed to avoid getting run over. Under normal circumstances, Kimizuki would have taught Yuichiro to check the rear-view mirror or look over her shoulder to ensure nothing was behind the vehicle before attempting to back up but neglected to do so since he was sure the area behind them was clear. Their blonde squad mate appeared to have just come out of nowhere.

"Sorry, Yuu, this is my fault. I should have reminded you to look to make sure nothing was behind us. It looks like Mitsuba wanted to check up on us but she was so quiet, I didn't hear her coming."

"Neither did I" Yuu confessed. "Well, I better get out and make sure she's ok."

As soon as she set the hummer on park, Yuichiro stepped outside to find Mitsuba sitting on her rump under a broken street light with one of her palms flat on the ground behind her while her other hand was clutching the front of her uniform as she attempted to catch her breath.

"Hey, are you ok, Mitsu? What happened there?" Yuichiro asked in concern.

The blonde girl glared at her. "What happened?! You almost killed me!" she shouted.

Yuichiro returned her glare. "Is it my fault you decided to stand right behind the hummer when I was trying to back it up? You should know better than that, Mitsu!"

"And is it my fault you didn't even bother to check to see if there was anything behind you _before_ you tried to back up?" Mitsuba shot back.

Before the other girl could reply, they both heard Kimizuki clearing his throat and turned in his direction. Like Yuichiro, he also stepped outside of the vehicle to check on Mitsuba.

"I'm sorry, Mitsuba, but it was my fault. I was teaching Yuu how to drive and forgot to remind her to look behind before backing up. Are you ok?" ***3***

Hearing Kimizuki's apology as well as expression of concern finally managed to calm the two girls down before one of them started a fight.

"I think I scraped my knee a bit, but I'll live," Mitsuba answered as she pulled her knees to her chest and looped her arms over them.

"Here, let me see," Kimizuki said gently as he bent over to examine the blonde girl's injury. Thanks to her demon's contract, it healed within seconds but the mental shock of nearly being run over was still apparent on Mitsuba's face.

"It looks like you had a close call, Miss Sangu" Kimizuki said. "Just be careful next time and try to refrain from standing behind a vehicle if you think someone is in it, ok?"

The blonde girl blushed but not knowing what else to say, Mitsuba merely nodded in silence to let Kimizuki know she understood. Shinoa and Yoichi, who had witnessed the entire scene, left their seats at the café table to join their squad mates.

"Hey, are you ok, Mitsuba? We heard you screaming back there and thought something terrible had happened," Yoichi exclaimed as he dropped to one knee next to his squad mate, his brows furrowing in concern.

"I'm fine," Mitsuba answered. "Like Kimizuki said, it was just a misunderstanding."

Though she was loathed to admit it, Mitsuba knew she was just as much at fault as Yuichiro for her near accident but was grateful that Kimizuki was willing to shoulder the blame to spare both of them embarrassment.

Shinoa, who figured as much, remained silent and turn towards Yuichiro who was also secretly grateful for Kimizuki's intervention.

Once she had finally managed to calm down enough to talk again, Mitsuba finally asked what she had been meaning to before Yuichiro almost accidentally backed into her.

"I don't mean to be rude but since Yuichiro needs a bit more practice with her driving, can you drive us to Shinjuku instead, Kimizuki?"

Yuichiro smirked. "Is that what you wanted to ask from the beginning, Mitsu?"

Mitsuba ignored the other girl's baiting and kept her gaze on Kimizuki. Taking the hint, the pink-haired boy sighed.

"Yes, Miss Sangu. That's what I intended to do from the start. It's not like I would allow Yuichiro or anyone else in the squad to drive us that far until I'm sure they're competent drivers. There, does that make you feel better?" Kimizuki asked as he offered Mitsuba his hand to help her up.

The blonde girl sighed but took the hand her squad mate offered. "Yes, it does. Can we get going now? I think we can all agree that the sooner we get on the road, the better."

"Yes, you're right," Shinoa agreed before turning to Yuichiro and Kimizuki. "Why don't you sit in the front with Kimizuki while the rest of us sit in the back, Yuu?" she suggested.

Yuichiro sighed but nodded. She knew Shinoa was trying to keep her and Mitsuba away from each other until tensions over their latest argument cooled down.

"Yes, Shinoa. That sounds like a good idea."

 **SSSSSS**

"Hey, are we almost there yet, Kimizuki?" Yuichiro asked from her seat on the passenger side.

After the awkward situation with Mitsuba, the squad passed most of the trip in silence which Yuichiro wouldn't have minded if she had something to read. But since she couldn't even find an old newspaper or magazine in the hummer, the ravenette was forced to pass the time with nothing but her thoughts.

Even Shinoa, who was normally a chatter bug, did not speak much for the last two hours.

"Well, according to the GPS, we should be arriving in Shinjuku shortly," the pink-haired boy answered patiently.

Even though he was perfectly capable of reading old-school paper maps, Kimizuki was grateful the hummer he hot-wired had a built in GPS device which made navigation to their destination much more convenient.

Yuichiro was about to ask Kimizuki how a GPS navigation device worked when they suddenly heard loud noises outside the hummer.

"What's that?" Yoichi asked as he clutched his bow nervously. "Could it be another Horseman of John coming after us?"

"Could be…" Yuichiro surmised as she tightened her grip on Asuramaru's handle. Turning around to face Shinoa, she asked: "Should we get rid of it then? I'm sure I can get the job done without too much trouble."

Mitsuba shook her head. "Don't bother, Yuu. There's no end to these creatures no matter how many we kill so it's best to just avoid them and head straight to Shinjuku."

"Wait a minute…" Shinoa began after making a quick gesture with her hand for her squad mates to be silent. "Do you hear that? The noises aren't coming from behind us but ahead. In fact, it's coming _from_ Shinjuku!"

"You're right," Kimizuki admitted. "That's why I'm turning here; we should be able to see the defensive wall of Shinjuku behind the corner."

"Good, do that, Kimizuki," Shinoa ordered. "The rest of you, have your weapons ready. We can't be sure of what we'll run into or what might happen!"

"Everyone, look out! Something's here!" Yuichiro exclaimed as soon as Kimizuki made the turn.

Looking ahead, the squad saw what appeared to be a humanoid figure in the distance. But they were sure that the creature was definitely not human by the attire he wore.

"That uniform… it's a vampire! And not an ordinary one, he's a noble!" Yuichiro exclaimed when she noticed that the man before them stood his ground and made no attempt to move.

Unlike most vampires Yuichiro had seen before, this particular one looked quite tall and muscular with broad shoulders and the build of a stocky football player.

"What should I do, turn around?" Kimizuki asked.

"Don't bother," Yuichiro answered. "If he's a noble, you won't be able to turn around fast enough to get us away from him. Keep going and run him down!"

The pink-haired boy hesitated for a moment until he felt his squad leader's hand on his shoulder from behind the driver's seat.

"I agree with Yuichiro," Shinoa said calmly. "Do it, Kimizuki! We'll all jump out before the car hits him!"

Kimizuki nodded. Although disappointed that he was going to have to give up the vehicle he took such great pains to get working again, the pink-haired boy also knew their lives might depend on it and slammed on the gas pedal.

As the hummer gained momentum, the squad braced themselves to "abandon ship" as westerners call it and as soon as they were close enough, everyone opened the doors and jumped out of the vehicle.

Instead of being intimidated at the now-empty two-ton vehicle speeding towards him, the vampire merely smirked and drew back a fist before sending it flying straight towards the hummer, easily shattering it to pieces without so much as getting a speck of dirt on his pristine white garb.

Yoichi, who saw what he believed to be an opening, quickly drew back his bowstring and released three arrows he willed into existence, hoping one of them would hit the noble while he was distracted with destroying the hummer.

The noble, who easily saw it coming, merely turned his head with its braided maroon hair in the brunette boy's direction and gave what Yoichi thought was a playful grin before murmuring something under his breath.

"Sword, drink my blood."

Although the noble's words were inaudible to Yoichi with his human hearing, the brunette boy saw what appeared to be three long spikes bursting through the handle of the European-style broadsword in his hand, piercing through the man's palm to the back of his hand before the blade turned blood-red.

And with a single swipe of his sword, he easily deflected all three of Yoichi's arrows.

"No way, I don't believe it!" Yoichi gasped while he attempted to stand as soon as he landed on the ground hard on his right hip but winced at the pain that slowed down his reaction time.

Not giving Yoichi time to recover and move away, the powerful vampire swung his sword again, this time sending a deadly gust of wind that would have cut Yoichi in half if Shinoa and Mitsuba had not jumped in between them and deflected his attack.

"Everyone, stay on guard!" Shinoa ordered. "This is a noble with a first-class weapon! Don't act alone, he's not like the others we've fought before-"

Before the purple-haired girl could say another word, the vampire suddenly vanished from her sight before reappearing behind her and raising his sword, intending to cleave her in two.

Yuichiro and Kimizuki, who were the first ones to catch sight of the noble, moved quickly and the ravenette charged towards him with her sword drawn before bringing it down with all her strength, slicing the vampire's arm off at the shoulder while Kimizuki jumped in front of their squad leader with his twin swords crossed to protect her.

Now that their enemy was unarmed, Shinoa was about to give the order for her squad to close in on him to make the kill but before she could, they saw two more vampires, females, who appeared to just fall out of the sky, land on both sides of the noble Yuichiro had just disarmed.

"Crap, this is bad!" Shinoa cursed.

Like the vampire who had just destroyed their only method of transportation to Shinjuku and nearly killed Shinoa and Yoichi, the two vampires who joined the fray appeared to be nobles as well. One was a busty and voluptuous blonde woman with huge corkscrew curls that cascaded down her shoulders clad in a white and frilly Victorian-style dress while the other was a petite, purple-haired girl who wore her wavy tresses in a shoulder-length bob. Like her blonde companion, she too, sported a vintage dress but her attire looked slightly more modern.

"So what now, oh great leader? Should we retreat?" Mitsuba asked Shinoa sarcastically while tightening her grip on the handle of her battle-axe. If Guren had chosen to give the purple-haired brat the position of squad leader over her, she sure as hell better live up to the job or they're all going to die here.

Thinking quickly, the leader in question calmly answered: "No, retreating is not an option here. These are nobles with first-class weapons. We stay and fight. It may not be enough but I need everyone to yield to their demons but do your best not to let them possess you completely!"

No one in the squad, especially Yuichiro, needed to be told twice and prepared to attack with the full power of their demons.

"Understood… But know that no matter what the odds, I won't let anyone in the squad die if I can help it," the ravenette said before lowering her voice and prepared to summon Asuramaru.

But while everyone in Shinoa's squad braced themselves for an all-out attack, the three nobles made no attempt to make the first move. Instead, the blonde vampire turned to her male companion and said:

"My lord, must you waste your time here playing around with these useless humans? Lord Ferid requires your presence at the front lines."

"That's right!" the petite purple-haired vampire agreed as she placed her hands on her hips. "You can play with humans anytime, but Lord Ferid might be annoyed if you don't come, Lord Crowley."

The vampire named Crowley closed his eyes for a brief moment and sighed. "Drat, Ferid is calling me? He always does this when I'm about to have fun," he pouted before walking over to his severed arm, which just happened to land only a few yards from Yuichiro, and picked it up along with his sword.

With his two female retainers present, nobody in Shinoa's squad, even Yuichiro, dared to stop Crowley from reattaching his sword arm. As they turned to leave, the noble turned to Yuichiro and gave her an amused smile.

"You fight well for a human, I'll give you that, my dear. And it's not every day I praise livestock for anything. I'll let you and your little friends go for now. But be warned, next time I'll be wanting a taste of your blood; just the scent of it intoxicates me! Try to stay alive until then, ok? Later!"

Furious that the arrogant bastard would dare to speak to her that way, Yuichiro was about to position her sword and try running him through with it from behind when she suddenly felt someone's hand clapping her on the shoulder as if in warning. Turning around, Yuichiro saw Shinoa looking at her with a grave expression that was normally uncharacteristic of her.

"Let them go, Yuu..." she warned. "I know what he said was insulting to you but coming from a noble like him, it was probably a compliment."

Yuichiro glared at her squad leader. "So what, am I supposed to be flattered? Ferid also praised my bravery right before he slaughtered my brothers and sisters in front of me!"

Shinoa sighed. She knew her squad mate was in one of her moods but chose to heed Mitsuba's warning not to indulge Yuichiro any more than she already had if she didn't want the other girl to get herself killed. While Yuichiro was indeed a skilled fighter worthy of the confidence she often displayed, Shinoa knew that even she (and Guren) could not take on a noble of the caliber they had just faced alone.

"I never said that, Yuu," she answered patiently. "All I'm saying is that you need to be realistic and understand the difference between your power and his. You are an exceptional swordmaiden, Yuichiro, I won't deny that, but there is still much you need to learn about wielding your demon weapon. And not only that, you also need to learn how to better control your emotions on the battlefield and not fall for the enemy's baiting or taunting if you want to survive, protect your comrades, and be victorious. I'm sure Guren has already told you this."

Yuichiro gritted her teeth and tightened her hold on Asuramaru but she knew Shinoa was right. While she may have found the other girl's chiding of her behavior annoying at times, Yuichiro still understood that Shinoa only had her best interests and well-being at heart.

"Fine, I understand."

Shinoa breathed a quiet sigh of relief upon securing Yuichiro's compliance, something they both knew did not come easily.

"I'm glad you do. I also want to thank you and Kimizuki for protecting me from that noble. It looks like your guardian was right about you—you _do_ care about your friends."

The ravenette felt a blush creeping onto her cheeks but quickly turned her head in another direction, so that Shinoa wouldn't see how embarrassed she was.

"Never mind that," Yuichiro said without looking back at her squad leader. "We better head onto to Shinjuku. I don't want to hear any more lectures from Guren on punctuality."

Yoichi laughed nervously as he scratched his head. "To be honest, I'd rather go back to Shibuya," he confessed.

Kimizuki, who was also getting cold feet at the prospect of their first major battle even though he was better at hiding it, shook his head. "I'd like nothing better but you know we can't do that, Yoichi. If Shinjuku falls, Shibuya will undoubtedly be next."

"True," Mitsuba agreed. "Even though we lost it, we're lucky that hummer we found already took us this far and that we didn't have to walk all the way from Shibuya. Shinjuku should be just around the corner, so walking the rest of the way shouldn't be too much trouble."

"That's right, Mi-chan. We should also consider ourselves blessed that we got out of that encounter with those nobles without sustaining any casualties as well," Shinoa confessed.

Yuichiro, who knew better than to count her chickens before they were hatched, merely snorted. To be honest, she _did_ find Shinoa's words somewhat comforting but was damned if she was going to admit it. Instead, she turned in the direction of their destination and said:

"Let's go. I hope we can liberate Shinjuku from the vamps for good this time and be home in time for dinner."

And without another word, the ravenette started to calmly walk towards what she expected to be just another battlefield while her companions quietly followed suit. Even Shinoa said nothing more and allowed Yuichiro to lead the way as if she were the squad leader instead of her.

But unknown to Yuichiro Hyakuya, Shinjuku was to be a battlefield where her destiny would be changed yet again…

 **Footnotes:**

 **1\. All of Guren's squad mates knew how to hot-wire and drive cars, fly helicopters, and operate multiple things before they even entered high school but for some unmentioned reason, Guren never taught any of these skills to male!Yuu in canon. I assume that he simply did not trust male!Yuu knowing how impulsive he was. In my AU, Guren refrained from teaching fem!Yuu how to drive because he didn't want to risk her getting hurt unnecessarily.**

 **2\. In canon, male!Yuu almost runs over Kimizuki by accident. Since Mitsuba is supposed to take over Kimizuki's original role, I had fem!Yuu nearly back into her instead to give them another reason to bicker and highlight their rivalry.**

 **3\. Kimizuki is the kind of person who does not like to admit his mistakes easily in canon, usually blaming the other party whenever he gets involved in conflicts with others. In my AU, he is more willing to accept responsibility for his mistake in not telling fem!Yuu to look over her shoulder or into the rear-view mirror before backing up because he did not want to see her and Mitsuba fight.**


	14. All That I'm Living For

**Disclaimer: I do not own Owari no Seraph (Seraph of the End** ). **I write this for your enjoyment only. This story is an alternate version of the Shibuya/Shinjuku arc with differences from the original; please refer to the footnotes at the end. Once again, I would like to thank my beta reader and editor, ReisidentialPsycho for her help in making this fic possible. Enjoy and please review!**

 **Chapter 14: All That I'm Living For**

"So this is Shinjuku?" Yoichi asked curiously as soon as the squad made their way into the city and looked around. ***1***

Since its first liberation, Shinjuku had been partly repaired for civilians to inhabit but the recent vampire attacks had destroyed the fragile improvements made to the city over the last three years, reverting it to the ruins it became after the apocalypse.

"Yeah… or rather what's left of it," Yuichiro answered as she palmed the hilt of her sword.

"You've been here before, haven't you?" Kimizuki asked.

"I have. It's been a while, though. The last time I was here was when the Demon Army liberated Shinjuku from the vampires the first time, but it looks like they're determined to retake it."

"Well, that's why we're here; to prevent that from happening!" Shinoa said as her cheerful demeanor returned.

Mitsuba snorted. "Easier said than done…" she muttered, knowing full well that her squad leader was simply putting on an optimistic facade to make the newbies feel more at ease with their dire situation.

Though she would never admit it, the blonde girl secretly envied her squad leader's ability to remain calm, cool, and even cheerful during times like these. It may very well be the reason Guren chose Shinoa over Mitsuba herself as squad leader but she conveniently chose to ignore that little detail.

Before Yoichi could ask the squad leader in question what they were going to do next, everyone heard a familiar voice call out to them.

"Hey, Miss Hiragi! Thank God you're finally here!"

Looking ahead, the squad saw a blue-haired youth waving at them in the distance along with the rest of his own squad as they approached.

"Satoshi!" Shinoa exclaimed. "Have you and your squad been here long? We've only just arrived so please fill us in on the details."

"Unfortunately, we ourselves arrived shortly before you did," the other squad leader confessed. "We had a few run-ins with some rogue vampires before that but nothing serious. As for what's going on, I've been told that the western wall has been under siege for the last few hours and that the civilians are being evacuated to the eastern wall. They've already announced it all over the city's intercom system."

"The soldiers have been ordered to hold the vamps off until the evacuation is complete and the entire MDC is assembled, but I'm not sure how much longer they can do that," Risa said worriedly as she pointed up at the sky.

Looking up, everyone saw a long row of soldiers standing on top of the walls while firing arrows at the approaching helicopters in an attempt to prevent them from entering the city.

"They've managed to slow them down, but that's all," Daisuke explained. "We don't know how much longer the soldiers can keep it up."

"I've been told that some aircraft has already managed to enter the southwest area," Riku said grimly. "If the vampires break through here, the city is doomed."

"But aren't those soldiers using the same weapon as mine? If so, then they should be able to fight off the vamps easier than that!" Yoichi protested as he gawked at the battle taking place in the air.

"No, they are not the same, Yoichi," Mitsuba corrected. "Rather, what those troops are using are more simplified versions of your bow called 'enchanted gear;' not every soldier is mentally strong enough to form a contract with a demon."

"Not good…" Kimizuki muttered as he followed his friends' gaze and tried his best to keep his cool. "This is turning into a full-scale war. We gotta do something and soon!"

"Shit!" Yuichiro cursed. "If only that noble hadn't showed up we would have been here sooner and things might not have gotten this bad…"

Shinoa shook her head. "It's ok, Yuu. What happened back there was beyond our control. Just be grateful that we all got out of it alive so we can help take back Shinjuku."

"So what are we going to do?" Yoichi asked.

"About that," Takeshi began. "One of the other officers passed along the word that all members of the Moon Demon Company are to join Lieutenant Colonel Ichinose and his squad at the west wall."

Yuichiro slapped her forehead. "Oh, no, we're the last ones to get here. The last thing I need now is another lecture on punctuality from Guren," she groaned.

Mitsuba cleared her throat. "I don't think that's what you should be worried about right now, Miss Hyakuya..."

"She's right, Yuu," Kimizuki said. "Let's just find Guren and let him decide what to do next."

Yuichiro sighed. Although she dreaded being hen-pecked by her mentor, the ravenette knew that there were more pressing issues at hand.

"Agreed…" she said. "Let's go then."

 **SSSSSS**

"Damn, those bastards are persistent; I'll give them that…" Guren muttered as he put down his small hand-held telescope for a moment to rub his eye.

For the past hour, the lieutenant colonel had been overlooking the battle taking place down in the city streets as well as the skies above from his perch atop a tall building where he and the rest of his squad were stationed.

"Now which one of these bloodsuckers is the leader, I wonder?" Guren asked himself quietly as placed the telescope over his eye again to resume his search.

Looking through the device that enhanced his vision to the streets below, the lieutenant colonel was able to make out the forms of several vampires clad in the same white uniform as well as several Demon Army soldiers until he finally caught sight of a vampire that stood out from among the rest.

Though he too, was dressed in white, the vampre's vintage attire was more extravagant than the others, indicating that he must be a noble. The vampire's head and neck was also exposed and he sported a long silver mane tied into a high ponytail with a silk ribbon, a style reminiscent of eighteenth century Europe but Guren took no interest or notice of that.

What Guren did notice, however, was the silver-haired vampire lord shifting his gaze slightly until he appeared to look him straight in the eye from his perch several hundred meters away.

"Oh my, the bastard can see me even from this distance?" he asked in amusement before lowering the telescope again and answering his own question. "Of course he can; he _is_ a vampire after all."

"Um, my lord, you seem surprisingly at ease considering the situation at hand," a soft female voice called out.

Turning, the lieutenant colonel saw his long-time friend and subordinate, Sayuri, quietly approach with her arms at her sides in a relaxed posture and looking at him with perplexity.

"Well it's not like I'm slacking off, Sayuri," Guren explained patiently as he ran his fingers through his dark hair. "I'm keeping tabs on the enemy commander and his troops' movements in case the bastards decide to target this outpost as well."

Before Sayuri could reply, her commander pointed over her shoulder. "Well, damn, speak of the devil!" he exclaimed.

Turning around to see what Guren meant, the younger woman gasped when she saw a vampire guard charging towards her like a raging bull with his weapon drawn. Knowing she must act quickly, Sayuri prepared to summon her own cursed gear when Mito suddenly jumped in front of her and slammed her gloved fist into the vampire's midsection, the force of the blow hard enough to knock him off the building before he turned to ash.

"Mito, thank goodness you're here!" Sayuri gasped as she clutched the front of her uniform in relief.

Instead of sharing Sayuri's gratitude, Guren smirked at his crimson-haired friend. "Nice to see you, Mito; what took you so long?" he teased.

And as always, the hot-headed Mito Jujo took the bait. "Are you saying I'm late, sir? _You're_ the one who called me here on such short notice. Don't you think you owe me a little explanation?" she demanded as she flipped her long crimson ponytail over her shoulder.

Before Guren could reply, they both heard the sound of a throat being cleared and turned to see Shigure approaching with her hands neatly folded in front of her.

"Sir, I just got a call from Shinya after I got back. He said both Shinoa's and Satoshi's squads have completed their mission in freeing the humans at Omotesando Subway Station and have just arrived in Shinjuku."

Guren, who had expected nothing less from the youngsters he and Shinya had accepted into the MDC, gave a look of smug satisfaction as he jumped down from his spot on the building's edge and said:

"Excellent. They'll be a good addition to the reinforcements. The battlefield is the perfect place to get stronger as long as you don't get killed."

"Heh, you would think that, my lord. That's just like you," Goshi said with a touch of humor as he walked up from behind Shigure. "It's also like you to expect a lot from such young kids."

Guren snorted. "In case you haven't noticed, Norito, neither Shinoa's nor Satoshi's squads are ordinary kids, any more than we were."

The blond man grinned and threw up his arms in mock surrender. "I was only joking, sir. Of course I know that. Anyway, so what are we gonna do? It doesn't look like Shinjuku Guard can hold off the vampires' advances for much longer."

"Then it's time for us to make our move" Guren said simply as he made a gesture for his squad to join him. "The vampire commander is at the intersection of the 5th district. We could turn the tide of battle in our favor if we take him down."

"Yes, sir."

 **SSSSSS**

"Don't look now, Mika, but it seems that we're being watched," Ferid said smoothly as he turned his head and looked in the direction of the building where Guren and his squad had been hiding.

"Who is it?" his blond companion asked without so much as moving a muscle from his seat next to him.

"Oh, nothing you need concern yourself with, my young friend. By the way, how are you feeling? It's been a while since you were here and you must have some pretty unpleasant memories of this place. Still, if you're lucky, you might even see your long-lost brother, Yuichiro, while you're here."

At the mention of his orphanage sister's name, Mikaela quietly clenched his fist. Though the blond found it unsettling that Ferid still held an interest in Yuichiro, he was secretly grateful that his ex-benefactor did not realize the truth about her, at least not yet. And that fact alone should keep Yuichiro safe from Ferid for a while longer. ***2***

When he received no answer from Mikaela, Ferid continued. "So what will you do when you find him, Mika? Will you drink his blood? You look so terribly thirsty, my boy. I hate to see you suffer unnecessarily."

"I'm fine…" the blond growled.

"Oh? You don't sound convinced," Ferid teased as he made a gesture with his arm towards the streets below where several vampires were drinking greedily from dying human soldiers and civilians unfortunate enough to be caught up in the fray.

"You should be taking advantage of being on the battlefield since it's forbidden to drink directly from humans back home" he insisted.

At the older vampire's suggestion, Mikaela curled his lips into a sneer as he shot Ferid a dirty look.

"Ha, you should talk! Did the law stop you from drinking _my_ blood? You sure as hell didn't hesitate!" he snapped.

Instead of being annoyed, displeased, or even the slightest bit embarrassed at being called out on his hypocrisy, the vampire lord gave a merry laugh.

"Oh, please, Mika. Don't say such things, or you'll hurt my reputation! And besides, wasn't it _you_ who approached and offered me your blood in the first place? Oh, I remember, you only did that so you can steal a gun and map from my mansion to escape the city with your little family. Well, it's your own fault for not realizing it was a trap, Mika."

The young blond scowled but did not argue or try to deny Ferid's claim because he knew every word the bastard said was true.

"You're right, _my lord._ It _was_ my fault that everyone died and Yuu-chan ran away. Do I blame you for it? Not entirely. The fault also lies with me for not realizing just how much of a conniving bastard you are."

Ferid grinned. Mikaela's sharp tongue never ceased to amuse him, even if the boy's words were meant to be insults.

"True. But what does any of that matter since you're a vampire yourself now?" he asked with a shrug of his shoulders.

Not needing or wanting to be reminded of what he now was, Mikaela suddenly jumped down from the beam and started to walk away from Ferid. It was times like these that the blond felt it was best to give his commander the silent treatment.

But Ferid Bathory was not one to give up easily when he wanted an answer, especially from Mika of all people.

"By the way, what about the last remaining member of your family, Yuichiro Hyakuya?" he persisted. "Are you going to save him? What if he doesn't want your protection or to have anything to do with you when he finds out the truth? And that's assuming you last long enough to find him. Seriously, take my advice and drink some human blood; you know what happens to vampires who get too thirsty!"

Not wanting to give Ferid the satisfaction of knowing he may be right about Yuichiro, Mikaela picked up the pace to get away from him while doing his best to ignore the other vampires feeding around him. The corpses they shoved aside after their victims took their last breaths reminded him painfully of the night his own family's corpses littered the halls before the gates of Sanguinem when they were killed by the very man he served under now.

And, in a way, Mikaela himself also died on that day…

 **SSSSSS**

 _ **October 17, 2016**_

" _Mika, my dear, you really must drink…" the vampire queen said gently as she sat on her throne watching Mikaela in amusement after a guard had placed the body of an unconscious livestock child in front of him._

 _After re-attaching his severed arm to his body, Krul ordered that Mika be brought to her throne room within the royal palace of Sanguinem. In contrast to the rest of the city, the home of the vampire queen was radiant and opulent but Mika could not notice any of it now._

 _The flushed, sweaty, and panting blond boy shook his head fiercely as he wrapped his arms tightly around himself while on his knees and used every ounce of willpower he possessed to fight his terrible thirst. Even though he agreed to let Krul turn him, the thought of drinking another human's blood like the monsters he so despised horrified him._

" _No… I don't want to…there has to be another way!" Mika protested even though his shivering, pain-wracked body told him otherwise. Right now, there was only one thing he craved and needed most, and both he and Krul knew what that was._

 _The vampire queen chuckled as if she were expecting him to say that and got up from her throne. Walking with quiet, cat-like steps, Krul approached him and gently pried Mika's mouth open with her tiny hand to reveal two sharp little fangs protruding from his gums._

" _There isn't, my child," she said patiently. "You should have known this when you agreed to become one of us…"_

 _Mikaela gulped when he realized the vampire queen was right. Even though he was young, the blond boy had been around vampires long enough to know that they could derive nourishment from nothing but blood._

" _T…then what am I going to do?" he wailed._

" _Listen to your body and give it what it desires…what it needs…" Krul whispered as she gently placed her hand under Mika's chin and lifted his face to gaze into his ocean-blue eyes, the eyes that now had slitted pupils like her own._

" _I…"_

" _It's too late for second thoughts, Mikaela. Even if you wanted to die normally, you can't because I've already changed you. If you don't drink blood, you will become a mindless demon with no will of your own. And you'll never be able to save your brother Yuu. Is that what you want?"_

 _Mikaela gasped at the mention of Yuichiro and reminder of why he agreed to let himself be turned into the monster he was now. Still, he made one more attempt to find an alternative._

" _Are you sure there is no other way?" he asked in desperation._

 _Seeing the pained and desperate look on the blond boy's face seemed to move the vampire queen to pity, something that did not happen often, and she sighed before standing up and slicing the wrist of her own hand with a razor-sharp talon._

" _Is that what's truly bothering you, my child? Drinking from a human? Well, you should have said so in the first place! How about I offer you_ my _blood instead? I'm not human, after all. Well, Mika?"_

 _Knowing that that was the best deal he was going to get, Mikaela Hyakuya finally gave in to his thirst and grabbed the arm that Krul offered before sinking his new fangs deep into her bloodied wrist._

 _If she were a human, Mikaela might have knocked her over but Krul easily held her ground without budging before getting onto her knees to allow him easier access to her blood._

" _There, there, my little Mika…" the queen cooed as she gently stroked his soft blond hair. "Everything's going to be all right. I'll take good care of you from now on so don't worry. After all, you belong to me now and for all eternity, my lovely little pet."_

 _Although he knew his fate was sealed as soon as the first drop of the vampire queen's blood passed his lips, Mikaela Hyakuya was too consumed by relief to care. In that moment the taste of Krul's blood and her soothing words became his entire world…_

 **SSSSSS**

Mika slowly opened his eyes and found himself back in the present where he was currently sitting on the hood of an old abandoned car. It seemed as though he had been reminiscing about his troubled past again.

Thankfully, Ferid had made no attempt to follow Mika when he jumped off the structure overlooking the streets below to be alone. As for his fellow vampire soldiers, they were too busy gorging themselves on the blood of dying humans all around them like vultures to notice or care where he went or what he did. And Mikaela could not help but feel disgust knowing he suffered the same constant bloodthirst they did.

But even so, the blond refused to stoop to their pitiful level. He compared vampires drinking directly from humans to animals eating their prey alive or humans eating unseasoned raw animal meat with their bare hands. If Mikaela Hyakuya had to live as a vampire, he was determined to do so with as much dignity as he could muster.

Now that the blond was finally alone, he gave into this thirst and reached for one of the glass tubes hidden in a small leather case inside his uniform jacket. Unknown to Ferid, Krul had given Mika several small tubes with her blood to sustain him until he returned from his mission.

After taking a quick glance around to make sure he wasn't being watched, the blond pried open the lid of the tube and quickly downed its contents. In return for Mikaela's service and obedience, Krul had been generous enough to sustain him with her own blood through the years. The queen even gave him enough to last whenever she sent him on missions beyond Sanguinem so that he would not be forced to hunt human prey or worse, drink from corpses to survive.

 _Krul's blood will last me ten days at most. I have to find Yuu-chan before then…_ Mika thought.

What he would do once he found his lost orphanage sister, he was not sure but the blond decided that he would cross that bridge when he got to it. After all, he had managed to come this far.

 _Yuu-chan, you are near… I can feel it…_

As if in answer, Mikalea felt a raindrop touch his nose followed by another and another. It was as if the heavens had heard his thoughts and sent him a reminder of the girl he had spent nearly half a decade searching for. The falling raindrops brought back memories of Yuichiro's tears on his face when they shared what they both thought would be their first and last kiss…

 **SSSSSS**

"Say do you hear that, everyone? It sounds like it's raining pretty hard outside," Yoichi said as he cupped one of his ears with his hand so that he could hear the rain fall better.

"It probably is," Mitsuba agreed as she folded his arms, closed her eyes, and leaned back as much as her position on the cargo truck seat would allow.

"If so, then we should be thankful we managed to catch a ride back at the medical base so that we wouldn't have to walk all the way to the west wall," Shinoa said. "We're lucky this cargo truck is big enough to hold all of us so that we don't get separated before we can find the lieutenant colonel and his squad."

Everyone nodded in silent agreement. Both squads were fortunate enough to hitch a ride on one of the many cargo trucks that were transporting soldiers to the front lines and they had been on the road for at least an hour. While the seats weren't exactly comfortable, nobody complained because it sure as hell was better than walking in the heavy rain.

Satoshi, who was sitting on the seat nearest to the driver, an officer named Nagai, tapped his knuckles on the wall to catch the man's attention. ***3***

"Hey, I don't mean to rush you but are we almost there yet?" he asked politely. "Let us know so we can be ready."

"Of course. We should be at the defensive line in the next fifteen minutes or so. It could be a bit of a bumpy ride, so make sure your seat belts are secured" Nagai answered.

"Fifteen minutes? That should give us plenty of time to get ready," Yuichiro said coolly as she stroked Asuramaru's handle with her fingertips, taking a moment to admire the excellent craftsmanship.

"Call me crazy, but you sound like you're actually looking forward to doing battle," Risa teased from her seat across from Yuichiro.

"Of course I am, Risa. Why else would I join the Demon Army and MDC?" the other girl joked.

"That sounds just like something you would say, Miss Hyakuya," Riku said with a wink as she folded her hands together and gave the ravenette a smile.

"Well, I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm really in no hurry to die," Takeshi said grimly as he shot Yoichi a glance. "Isn't that right, Satome?"

Yoichi gave a nervous laugh. "Yeah, me too."

"It's a little late for second thoughts, boys. You knew the risks when you chose to join the Demon Army, didn't you?" Mitsuba asked in annoyance.

"Of course we did," Daisuke answered with a roll of his eyes. "Takeshi was just joking."

"Nobody knows when they're going to die," Kimizuki said as he pushed his glasses further up his nose. "My father used to tell me that death can come for us at any time no matter what we do or where we are."

"True. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't take precautions to prevent it," Satoshi said as he turned to Shinoa with his arms folded across his chest. "Well, Miss Hiragi? Have you told them yet?" he asked.

Yuichiro was puzzled. "Told us what?" she demanded.

Shinoa cleared her throat and was silent for a moment before putting on her most cheerful expression and answered.

"That it's time for all of us to take our medicines!"

Kimizuki raised a brow. "And what's that supposed to mean? Are you in charge of handing out vitamins now?"

The purple-haired girl gave a merry laugh. "Not quite. Remember how strong that noble we ran into on the way to Shinjuku was? Surely you realize that he was way out of our league. Even with our black demon weapons, it would have been quite difficult for us to take him down if he had chosen to fight seriously."

Now it was Satoshi's turn to raise a brow. "What? Your squad encountered a _noble_ before getting to Shinjuku? How is it all of you managed to make it out with no casualties?"

Shinoa grinned. "It's a long story, Mr. Hiwatari. Anyway, I think it's time for us to give our squad mates their meds," the purple-haired girl answered as she pulled out five small plastic cases from her uniform pocket that contained what appeared to be small round green tablets.

As Shinoa handed each of her squad members a case, Satoshi pulled out a few of the same plastic tablet-filled cases from his own pocket and gave them to his squad as well.

"Hey, what are these?" Yuichiro asked curiously as she turned the small case in her hand this way and that. "They look like Tick Tacs"

"Well, they aren't," Shinoa said patiently as she turned toward Satoshi. "Well, Mr. Hiwatari? Do you want to explain how these work or would you like me to do the honors?"

Satoshi smiled and politely bowed his head to the other squad leader. "There's no reason we both can't do it together, Miss Hiragi. But please do start…"

"Of course," the purple-haired girl said as she turned to the others. "To make things simple, we're all going to be doping."

"What?" Risa asked in confusion. "But I thought the Demon Army prohibits the use of drugs."

"They do, Risa," Riku said before turning back to Shinoa and Satoshi. "But these aren't ordinary drugs, are they?"

"Very astute, Miss Harada" Satoshi praised. "You're right, they aren't. These are what the army calls 'curse stimulant' pills. If used correctly, they can increase your synchronization with your demons."

"Right," Shinoa continued. "One tablet and you'll be one and half times stronger. If you take two, you'll be one point eight times stronger."

Yuichiro smirked as she folded her arms across her chest. "That sounds great, Shinoa. So, what's the catch?"

Daisuke chuckled. "Always the skeptic, aren't you, Miss Hyakuya?"

"And she has every right to be, Mr. Niwa" Shinoa said. "Power always comes at a price. Especially this kind of power."

"And what's the price of using these so called 'curse stimulant pills'?" Takeshi demanded. "What're the side effects?"

"Well, for one, they put a great deal of strain on your body," Satoshi explained. "If you take more than three, the effects could be fatal. There's a great chance your organs will explode; even two could cause you to die from shock."

"Oh really? That sounds pretty gruesome" Kimizuki said grimly. "So basically, they should only be used as a last resort, right?"

"Correct," Shinoa said as she waved her tablet case in front of her face. "Even two pills could severely damage your organs and make you go into shock. So to be on the safe side, we usually take no more than one pill and only when we're in a very tight spot."

"Also the effects last no more than fifteen minutes. After it wears off, you will be completely vulnerable to the enemy if you had not destroyed them before then. So as Kimizuki says, use these tablets only as a last resort" Satoshi warned.

After listening to both squad leaders' explanation, Yuichiro shot Shinoa a look of annoyance.

"If you had these all along, why didn't you give them to us when we ran into that noble on the way here, Shinoa?"

The purple-haired girl shook her head. "Even if I did, it still might not have been enough."

"What?"

"It takes at least ten seconds for the pills to take effect. If he had wanted to, that noble could have killed us all before we could make full use of their power."

"I see…you mentioned demons earlier. If I take these pills, could I fully master the power of my cursed gear?"

Shinoa smiled playfully and shook her head. "Sorry, Yuu but the pill is only a temporary solution. Mastering your cursed gear and bending the demon to your will is something that comes only with time and practice."

Even though she had expected such an answer from her squad leader, the ravenette could not help but sigh in disappointment.

"Fine, I understand."

The Harada sisters laughed merrily at Yuichiro's pouting. "It's ok to ask, Yuichiro," Risa said. "You never know unless you do."

"That's right!" Riku chipped in.

Mitsuba scowled at the twins. "How can you two be so cheerful at a time like this? We could die out there today."

Kimizuki smirked. "Always the pessimist, are we, Miss Sangu?"

The blonde girl glared at him. "It's called being realistic, four-eyes!" she snapped.

Before Kimizuki could make a snarky comeback, everyone in the truck heard a loud explosion coming from the outside.

"Shit, what was that?!" Daisuke cried.

No sooner did the question leave his mouth, everyone screamed when they suddenly felt the cargo truck being flipped over. Were it not for the seatbelts strapping them to their seats, both squads would have been severely injured from the impact. As soon as the vehicle finally stopped moving, everyone quickly unbuckled their seatbelts and made their way outside into the streets.

As soon as they were outside, both squads looked up and saw the helicopter that had just attacked the truck they were in moments earlier turn around to fire at them again.

"Hurry, everyone, take cover!" Satoshi shouted over the rain of bullets.

"Like he needed to tell us that!" Daisuke exclaimed as he quickly grabbed Takeshi to pull him to safety.

While the others were dodging the oncoming fire, Yuichiro took a quick glance around and noticed that Nagai was unconscious and trapped in the driver's seat.

"Shit!" she cursed as ran to the truck and attempted to pull him out. When the ravenette realize she couldn't do it alone, she called the two closest squad members to her for help.

"Shinoa! Mitsuba! I need your help here!"

"Yuu! Be careful!" Shinoa cried as she made a gesture for Mitsuba to follow her and assist Yuichiro. And this time, the hot-headed blonde girl did not argue.

"Hurry, there's no time to waste!" Yuichiro hissed as she started to pull out the unconscious young man with the help of Shinoa and Mitsuba.

"Move quickly, they're coming back again!" Kimizuki cried as he deflected one bullet after another in an attempt to shield the girls as well as the man they were trying to help. And even with the assistance of Satoshi Hiwatari and his squad, it was still no easy task.

"We don't have much time!" Yoichi shouted as he fired several of his demon arrows into the air alongside Takeshi, hoping to take down the helicopter that had been attacking them. Daisuke and the Harada sisters were also doing their best to hold off the bullets under Satoshi's orders but that could only last for so long.

After a few more rounds, Yoichi and Takeshi finally managed to destroy the menacing aircraft but not before it launched three more missiles that ended up destroying the ground beneath the two squads, causing them to fall into the subway below.

 **SSSSSS**

"Ugghh…" Yuichiro groaned as she slowly opened her eyes and found herself in what appeared to be a dark, underground tunnel of sorts with the man she had attempted to save still comatose in her arms.

"What happened?" Mitsuba asked weakly as she sat up from the spot where she landed not far from Yuichiro.

Yoichi, who appeared to be fine despite the shocking fall, was trying to shake Shinoa, who appeared to be lying unconscious on the ground, awake.

"Hey, Shinoa, are you ok? Kimizuki, what are we going to do?"

The pink-haired boy, who was also unhurt, kneeled downed next to their squad leader and gently tapped her face with the back of one of his hands.

"Miss Hiragi, can you hear me? Please wake up, we need you!"

At her subordinate's gentle chiding, the purple-haired girl slowly opened her eyes.

"W…what happened?" Shinoa groaned as she allowed Kimizuki and Yoichi to help her up.

"It appears we fell through to the subway below," Yuichiro answered as she forced herself to stand and check up on Nagai whom she had been half-carrying before the ground beneath them collapsed. Placing two fingers on his neck after gently setting him on the cold ground, Yuichiro was relieved to find that Nagai was still alive when she felt his pulse.

"Wait, where's Satoshi and the others?" Mitsuba demanded when she looked around and did not find any member of the other squad in sight.

"Hmm…it doesn't look like they fell with us," Yuichiro answered grimly. "But Mr. Nagai looks pretty banged up."

Shinoa, always quick to get down to business, went over to Yuichiro to examine the young man in question.

"We need to get him to the temporary shelter above ground. He might need medical attention."

"You'd think?" Mitsuba asked sarcastically as she rolled her eyes.

Shinoa, however, was not in the mood and was about to tell the other girl so when they heard a familiar voice calling to them through the wall of rubble barring their access to the other side of the subway.

"Hey, Shinoa! Are you and your squad ok over there?!"

Startled as well as relieved at hearing the voice of her fellow squad leader, Shinoa forgot her annoyance at Mitsuba and answered:

"Satoshi, is that you!? We're all fine over here. What about your squad?"

"We're ok too!" Risa shot back cheerfully. "A few bruises here and there but nothing serious."

"That's great!" Yuichiro exclaimed. "Hey, do you guys think you can get back to the surface from your side?"

"I'm sure we'll manage!" Satoshi assured. "What about you?"

"We have to get some medical attention for Mr. Nagai first so go ahead without us; we'll catch up with you later at the defensive line, ok?" Shinoa suggested.

After a moment's pause, the other squad leader answered. "Ok, I understand. See you later then, Miss Hiragi! And good luck!"

"You too!"

 **Footnotes:**

 **1\. By episode 9 of the anime and chapter 11 of the manga, the sequence and version of events begin to differ a bit more drastically so I have chosen to merge the two for my fic as well as add the presence of the Satoshi Hiwatari Squad.**

 **2\. Since I've had several readers ask, my plan is to have Ferid not realize that fem!Yuu is a girl. For my AU, Mika chooses to keep her true gender a secret from Ferid as a protective measure for as long as possible.**

 **3\. Corporal Nagai is an anime-only character and does not appear in the manga. For my AU, I've chosen to give him a very small role as the driver of the truck taking Shinoa's and Satoshi's squads to the front lines.**


	15. Fated Reunions: Part I

**Disclaimer: I do not own Owari no Seraph (Seraph of the End). I write this for your enjoyment only. This story is alternate version of the Shibuya/Shinjuku arc with differences from the original; please refer to the footnotes at the end. Once again, I would like to thank my beta reader, ResidentialPsycho for her help in making this fic possible. Enjoy and please review!**

 **Chapter 15: Fated Reunions, Part I**

"Whoa this guy is heavier than he looks," Kimizuki muttered after Yoichi and Yuichiro hoisted the comatose Nagai onto his back.

"Well, if he's too much for you to handle, I can carry him instead," Yuichiro offered innocently.

Though he knew she didn't mean anything by it, Kimizuki was appalled as well as embarrassed that a girl was offering to do what was expected of him as a man. Yoichi might have a free pass due to his fragile appearance, but there was no excuse for someone as robust as Shiho Kimizuki to be unable to carry another soldier to safety; the last thing he wanted was to look weak in front of a girl and one who was his squad mate, no less.

"Never mind, I can handle him just fine, Miss Hyakuya," the pink-haired boy said with a roll of his eyes.

"Well, good," Shinoa said. "There's no time to waste; let's get going."

"Do you think there's an exit is nearby?" Yoichi asked curiously. "What if the concrete from the streets above blocked our way out?"

"Simple," Mitsuba answered as she summoned her battle ax. "If there are no exits, then we'll make one. In case you didn't know, our demon weapons can be used for other things besides killing vampires, Yoichi."

Yuichiro grinned as she palmed the hilt of her sword. "You know, Mitsu, for once, I actually agree with you. In fact, I think we'll save more time if we make our own exit outta here instead of looking for one. I'm sure Sato and his squad would do the same if they were in our place."

Relieved that her two most difficult squad mates can at least agree on a more efficient way to escape the underground subway, Shinoa gave her approval.

"Let's do it then. The sooner we can get Mr. Nagai to a shelter for treatment, the sooner we can join Guren's and Satoshi's squad at the front."

"Way ahead of you, Shinoa," Yuichiro said as she unsheathed Asuramaru and turned to Mitsuba. "Shall we take that wall down then?" the ravenette asked as she pointed towards another wall of rubble set in the opposite direction of the one that separated them from Satoshi's squad earlier.

Mitsuba nodded. "Yes. Everybody, step back and let me and Yuu take care of this."

"Of course, Mi-chan," Shinoa said as she made a gesture for Yoichi and Kimizuki to move away from the wall that barred their exit back to the surface while she did the same.

As soon the others were far enough, Yuichiro and Mitsuba took a deep breath before raising their weapons high over their heads and shouting in unison:

"HERE WE GO!"

 **SSSSSS**

"So how is he? Is Mr. Nagai going to be all right?" Yuichiro asked Shinoa as soon as she saw her squad leader walk out of the medical tent where they dropped their driver off earlier. Like herself, Kimizuki, Yoichi, and Mitsuba were waiting patiently outside as well.

"He'll be fine. The doctor says his injuries are very minor, and he'll make a full recovery."

"Oh, good! That's very fortunate considering that he was trapped in the driver's seat of the truck after it flipped over," Mitsuba pointed out.

"Well, our timing was perfect too," Shinoa admitted. "If we had spent too much time looking for an exit instead of making one like you suggested, Mr. Nagai's injuries might have gotten worse, especially since we had to move him. Not to mention how tiring and inconvenient it would have been for Kimizuki as well."

"It's all right, Shinoa, I'm sure I would have managed," Kimizuki calmly insisted since he knew Yuichiro was watching. "In any case, we better get going. I'm sure Satoshi and his squad must have made it to the front lines by now."

"Do you think they got there ok?" Yoichi asked. "I mean, they just passed their demon aptitude tests and got their cursed gears this morning. Don't you think it's a bit too soon for them to be sent to the front without more training?" ***1***

"Well, we just got ours the day before they did, Yoi," Yuichiro said with a shrug of her shoulders. "Technically, we should still be in training too but like Guren says, we don't have the luxury of time with the vamps closing in on Shinjuku; the army needs as many soldiers at the defensive line as possible."

"Right," Shinoa said as she made a gesture for her squad to follow her out of the camp.

After walking for a few minutes, the squad overheard some soldiers talking rather loudly from a nearby tent.

"I told you, it's not possible!" One of them, an officer, insisted. "Our orders are to send _everyone_ we have to the defensive line; if the vampires break through there, Shinjuku will fall!"

"But what about our troops here?" a soldier asked in exasperation as he tried to avoid grimacing in pain from an injured arm set in a cast. "If we don't help them, they'll be wiped out and so will everyone at the base, including the civilians!"

"Well, the only way I can keep you here is if the extermination unit is confirmed at the front lines, _all_ of them! Or would _you_ rather go and have them defend the base here?"

"But they're just kids with too little experience! And besides, weren't there supposed to be _two_ squads sent to assist Lieutenant Colonel Ichinose at the front? I only saw one!"

Yuichiro gasped and stopped in her tracks as soon as she heard the soldier mention another squad. Without asking for her squad leader's permission, the ravenette turned and walked into the tent.

"Hey wait, did you mention you saw another squad from the MDC?"

Blinking, the injured soldier stared at Yuichiro in surprise for a moment before answering.

"Yeah, I did. Who're you?"

"We're part of the Moon Demon Company too," Shinoa answered as soon as she caught up with Yuichiro.

"Tell me about this other squad; are they led by a blue-haired guy? Were there a pair of brunette twin sisters with them?" Yuichiro pressed.

"Yeah, are you with them?"

"Never mind that, I just need you to tell me where they are."

After a moment's hesitation, the soldier finally answered. "I saw them heading towards Shinjuku Central Park. They may still be there since we haven't received confirmation that they're with the lieutenant colonel at the front."

"All right then, we'll find them and head to the defensive line. You and your men can stay here and defend the base."

And without another word, Yuichiro stormed out of the tent to inform the rest of her squad that there's been a change of plans.

Like Shinya, Shinoa was not the kind of person to get upset easily and often allowed Yuichiro to get away with acting alone or making hasty decisions in the past. But this time, even she could not help feeling a bit infuriated that Yuichiro had finally overstepped her bounds by making a decision that went against the direct orders of her guardian and superior officer.

"Wait, Yuu! You're not thinking straight!" Shinoa protested. "Guren's orders are for us to meet his AND Satoshi's squad at the defensive line. We can't afford to waste time looking for them before that!"

Yuichiro spun around and glared at her squad leader. "Look who's talking, Shinoa! Sato's squad should have made it to the front by now but if they're still at Shinjuku Central Park, that means they could be in trouble and we have to help them!"

Shinoa looked about to argue further but Yoichi beat her to it. "Wait, I agree with Yuu, Shinoa. If Satoshi and his squad _are_ having some kind of difficulty, we owe it to them to offer our assistance. After all, they _did_ save us when we were outnumbered by the vamps at Omotesando Station."

"She's right," Kimizuki agreed. "If something happens to Hiwatari's squad, they won't be able to help us at the defensive line for sure."

"And besides, Shinjuku Central Park isn't that far from here. We can regroup with them and go to the front together. That should make things easier," Mitsuba added, secretly surprised that she found herself agreeing with Yuichiro for the second time.

Realizing that she was outnumbered, Shinoa sighed and finally gave in. "Fine, I understand. We'll help Satoshi's squad and meet with Guren after that."

Yuichiro grinned, feeling like a triumphant child in her success to sway her squad leader (with the help of her other squad mates).

"Let's go then!"

 **SSSSSS**

"Sato, look out! Behind you!"

Before Satoshi could turn around to confront the vampire he knew was about to attack him from behind, he felt a slight breeze near his ear as Takeshi's arrow flew past his shoulder to strike his enemy first.

The blue-haired youth didn't even have time to thank his squad mate after his attacker turned to ash when he found another vampire charging at him like a raging bull with his sword drawn. If he could, Satoshi would have come to the aid of the Harada twins who were slowly being cornered by three other vampires while Daisuke had his hands full trying to keep another from getting two close to Takeshi whose crossbow was useless at close range.

As he attempted to come up with another strategy, Satoshi heard a somewhat cruel snicker in the recesses of his mind.

 _"_ _Quite a fix you got yourself and your squad into, Master Satoshi. After saving Shinoa's squad back at Omotosando, you should have known something was up when a suspicious civilian told you there was a vampire sighting at Shinjuku Central Park…"_

Satoshi gritted his teeth in frustration but he knew Krad was right; he had been naive to think that there were only one or two vampires at the park instead of the eight that surrounded his squad now.

 _"_ _So what do you want from me, Krad, a medal?"_ He silently asked his demon bitterly, knowing full well Krad could read his thoughts. Out of all the demons Satoshi could have made a contract with, why did it have to be this one?

 _"_ _Well, you've always adored swords just like that girl you pranked in seventh grade. Unfortunately that lovely gold-bladed katana in your possession comes with me and you're going to have to deal with it if you want to stay in the MDC and keep your comrades alive. In any case, I could easily help you get out of this fix you're in if…"_

The blue-haired boy narrowed his eyes at the demon's offer as he took another swing at an advancing vampire and managed to knock the creature's sword out of his hand before stabbing him in the heart.

 _"_ _And that is?"_ Satoshi asked suspiciously as he activated the curse on his sword to send the vampire to the other side. He and Krad had been in contract for hardly a day, yet he still knew all too well what the creature was asking for.

 _"_ _If you'll give me a little more control over your body, master. I used to be an adept swordsman back in my human and vampire days. I even have centuries worth of experience. Well?"_

Though he loathed the idea of letting Krad have _any_ control over his body, Satoshi knew he had little choice. Even though he had just eliminated one of the vampires who ambushed his squad, they were still outnumbered seven to five.

 _"_ _Fine… but you'll have no more control over me than I allow you to, Krad. Understand?"_

 _"_ _Of course, master…"_

No sooner did the blue-haired boy give his consent, his felt his skin tighten where the curse marks were starting to appear. The feeling wasn't painful but neither was it comfortable since allowing his demon to have more control over his body made him one step closer to becoming one himself.

But that was a risk he was just going to have to take.

As soon he was partly possessed, Satoshi moved with the speed of lightning and quickly sliced off the head of another vampire before he could run Daisuke through but as soon as he did so, the blue-haired boy felt he was losing a little more control over himself.

Such loss of control came as no surprise to Satoshi since he had been warned by Major General Hiragi before taking the demon aptitude test; the most important lesson being never to trust any demon, at least not completely.

Especially a demon like Kuraddo Hikari, Krad for short- even among demons, the bastard radiated malice inside and out.

Daisuke was the first to notice Satoshi's sudden display of power and the reason behind it. Unlike his squad leader, the red-haired boy was lucky enough to be contracted to Krad's easy-going rival and polar opposite. Not wanting Satoshi to put all the burden of protecting the squad on his shoulders, Daisuke called for his own demon to assist them.

 _"_ _Daaku Maushī, lend me your power!"_ ***2***

In response, the red-haired boy heard a light-hearted chuckle in his mind as the demon bound to his whip answered his call.

 _"_ _How many times do I have to tell you, Dai? Just call me Dark! Makes things so much simpler! "_

Daisuke rolled his eyes. " _Never mind that, Dark. I need your help; I don't want Satoshi depending too much on Krad to protect us or he'll get completely possessed!"_

 _"_ _Hmm, is that so? Well, considering how nasty my nemesis can be, we can't let him have a human body, now can we? Very well, Dai, I'll lend you my power, but I have to warn you that it still requires me to possess you, at least partly. And it isn't the most comfortable feeling… "_

Daisuke closed his eyes and tightened his grip on his whip's handle. He knew all demons would completely take over their master's body if they got the chance and even Dark was no exception. But out of fondness for his new master, the Phantom Thief, as he had been known in life, had promised not to do so as long as Daisuke kept things interesting for him.

 _"_ _I understand, Dark. I'm also doing this so that Takeshi and the girls won't have to call for their demons too."_

 _"_ _Ok, here we go!"_

As soon as Daisuke gave Dark his consent, he too, felt a surge of power flow through his body. Trying his best to ignore the sting of the curse marks on this skin, Daisuke drew back his whip and sent it flying towards a vampire who was starting to get too close to Takeshi.

With Dark's power, Daisuke's whip extended three times its normal length and coiled itself around the advancing vampire's neck before he pulled it back and tore the creature's head off.

 _Two down, six to go. We're still outnumbered!_ Daisuke thought frantically as she shot a glance in Satoshi's direction. And from the look of things, his squad leader was no doubt struggling to contain his demon while attempting to draw the attention of the vampires surrounding the Harada sisters.

If he could, Takeshi would have rushed to their aid immediately but as soon as Daisuke destroyed the vampire that almost came within striking distance of him, another one quickly took its place, barring him from firing his crossbow at the vampires advancing on Risa and Riku.

Sharing their concern for the Harada sisters, Takeshi was about to follow Satoshi's and Daisuke's lead and call for his own demon when he suddenly saw an arrow that was not from his own crossbow fly through the air and struck a vampire that was attempting to cut Riku down in the back of his head. As soon as she saw the advantage it provided, the brunette girl rushed in and stabbed the creature between his eyes with one of her sai and through the heart with the other before it finally turned to ash.

Now that the vampires' numbers were reduced yet again, the fight became more even, especially with the aid of their new allies.

"It's Shinoa's squad! They've come to help us!" Risa cried as she used her fans to ward off another vampire's advances.

"Talk about luck!" Takeshi exclaimed as he took aim at the vampire whose back was turned to him because he was focused on Risa.

As soon as he heard that Shinoa's squad had arrived to assist them, Satoshi seized the chance to force Krad to release his hold on him which was getting stronger by the minute.

 _"_ _That's enough, Krad! Your assistance is no longer required!"_

The demon snickered. " _As you wish, Master Satoshi. But keep in mind that sooner or later, you will eventually have need of my power again…"_

 _"_ _Hopefully not for a while…"_

 _"_ _We'll see…"_ the demon said in a sing-song tone as he finally submitted to Satoshi and the curse marks on the blue-haired boy's skin vanished, leaving him to fight on his own again.

Daisuke breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that his squad leader was out of immediate danger from his demon and Dark sensed it too.

 _"_ _It looks like today is your lucky day, Dai! How fortunate for you that your allies from Shinoa's squad have come to assist you! It looks like you won't be needing my help anymore, at least for now. Until next time…"_

The red-haired boy smiled as he felt the curse marks vanishing from his skin. " _Yes…thank you, Dark. I'll call for you again when I need you."_

 _"_ _You're welcome, Daisuke Niwa… Good luck!"_

"Daisuke, are you all right?" Yoichi asked without lowering his bow. Since they were not out of danger yet, the brunette boy kept his bowstring drawn so that he would be ready to fire at a moment's notice.

"I'm fine!" the red-haired boy insisted. Now that you and your squad are here, I don't have to rely on my demon's power anymore!"

"Don't start celebrating just yet!" Kimizuki exclaimed as he jumped behind Daisuke and used one of his swords to deflect an arrow from a vampire archer before it could hit him in the back.

"Sorry!" Daisuke apologized. "I'll be ok, just help Takeshi and the twins!"

"Shinoa and Mitsuba are already on it," Yuichiro said after decapitating another vampire just as he was turning his sights on Takeshi.

As promised, Daisuke looked over Yuichiro's shoulder and saw Shinoa and Mistuba assisting the Harada twins in fending off the vampires who tried to corner them. As soon as there was enough distance between them, Risa threw her fans at the last two vampires to slice off their sword hands before Riku, Shinoa, and Mitsuba finally destroyed them as well.

Once the battle was over, both squads lowered their weapons and Satoshi spoke first.

"Yuichiro! Shinoa! How did you guys know we were here?"

"Well, lucky for you, Yuichiro overheard some soldiers back at the medical base where we dropped off Nagai mention that your squad has not been confirmed at the front yet. So she figured that you were still at Central Park," Shinoa answered after putting her scythe away.

"I thought you might be in trouble if you were still here and it looks like I was right," Yuichiro said coolly as she sheathed her sword again.

"Yuu often acts as if she were the squad leader instead of Shinoa. I hate people who do that. But at least this time, I'm glad she did," Mitsuba confessed.

Risa and Riku had to stifle a laugh at the blonde girl's remark. "Well, regardless of the reason, I'm glad Miss Hyakuya followed her instincts; we were in a tight spot before your squad came along," Risa said.

"Right," her sister agreed. "I guess that makes us even now."

Satoshi cleared his throat. "Not that I'm ungrateful for your help, but shouldn't your squad be at the front lines with the lieutenant colonel by now?" he asked.

"Technically, yes," Shinoa answered as she shot a quick glance at Yuu. "But Miss Hyakuya insisted on coming here first to see if your squad needed help. Guren will probably chew us out for being late but I supposed it can't be helped."

"It's all right, Shinoa. I may not like getting lectured by Guren but I'd hate losing comrades even more. Speaking of which, we should probably be heading to the front lines now," Yuichiro pointed out.

"I guess that's one thing we can all agree on," Satoshi said. "Let's get going then. And thank you for coming to help us."

"No problem, Sato. It's the least we can do after what you did for us back at Omotesando."

"Heh, you're right. So does that mean you'll finally let me off the hook for that skirt pulling prank back in seventh grade?"

Yuichiro scowled when she heard their squad mates snicker at the blue-haired boy's light-hearted joke.

"Since when did I ever said that?"

 **Footnotes:**

 **1\. In canon, newly ordained MDC members would likely a training period before being sent to the front but I surmised that both Satoshi's and Shinoa's squads would not have the luxury of time for more training with the vampires closing in on Shinjuku. In real-life wars, such as WWII and the Vietnam War, soldiers have often been sent to the front with very little time to train beforehand because of necessity.**

 **2\. In the anime/manga series, DN Angel, _Daaku Maushī,_ better known as Phantom Dark, is one half of the The Black Wings artwork along with his arch-nemesis and other side, Krad. Dark seems to have a large reputation as a thief, as a large police force showed up to try and capture him after his 40-year slumber. He lives inside his tamer, Daisuke Niwa and unlike Krad, who cares nothing for Satoshi, Dark shows concern for Daisuke's safety and well-being. In my AU, Dark is Daisuke's demon contractor. **


	16. Fated Reunions: Part II

**Disclaimer: I do not own Owari no Seraph (Seraph of the End). I write this for your enjoyment only. This story is an alternate version of the Shibuya/Shinjuku arc with differences from the original. For the most part, I've decided to make the first half of the Shinjuku Battle similar to canon with a change of dialog as well as adding the presence of Satoshi's Squad to keep things interesting and different. Once again, I would like to thank my beta reader, ResidentialPsycho for her help in making this fic possible. Enjoy and please review!**

 **Chapter 16: Fated Reunions, Part II**

BOOM!

Mikaela was snapped out of his thoughts and bolted from his seat on the hood of the old car he was sitting on when he suddenly heard a loud explosion behind him. Not wasting even a moment, the blond quickly spun around and saw to his surprise, a raven-haired young man in his mid-twenties clad in the dark uniform of the Japanese Imperial Demon Army locking swords with Ferid himself after slaying the two vampire soldiers flanking him.

And from the look of things, the human wasn't alone either but accompanied by a taller blond man with a goatee and three younger women clad in similar dark uniforms.

 _That man… I feel as though I've seen him somewhere before but where?_ Mika pondered as he met the other man's icy stare over Ferid's shoulder with one of his own before withdrawing his sword from its sheath.

As if reading his thoughts, Mika heard Ferid answer his unspoken question as he easily jumped out of the way to evade the raven-haired man's next attack and landed right behind Mika himself.

"Don't let your guard down, my dear Mika; these five aren't ordinary soldiers but the elites among the vampire annihilation force."

"You mean the Moon Demon Company?"

Ferid grinned. "None other. And it appears that that man is their leader. I do believe his name is Guren Ichinose."

Mika was startled at the revelation but soon tightened his grip on his sword when he saw the human commander sneer at him and Ferid in a display of arrogant confidence.

"Shit, it looks like I missed the leader. No matter, though; gaining more ground and destroying some bloodsuckers while at it is still a win," Guren said coolly as he gripped his dark sword in one hand and bounced the flat of the blade lightly on his shoulder.

"My, what confidence you have, human," Lacus sneered as he and Rene stealthy walked up behind Ferid and Mika while accompanied by several other vampire soldiers. "I hope you have the skills to back it up if you don't wanna die where you stand."

Instead of being intimidated, Guren merely smirked and made an equally snarky retort to the purple-haired vampire's remark.

"Heh, did you enjoy your little bloodfest back there? Because it's the last one you'll ever have."

Ferid snickered. "Spoken like a truly conceited human bastard. It looks like someone needs to put you in your place."

As if on cue, Lacus and Rene drew their weapons and prepared to attack the human who was dared to diss a progenitor. But Ferid, unoffended, raised a hand and made a gesture for them to stay put.

"Lacus, Rene, you and the others hold off the humans surrounding their arrogant leader. I'm giving him to Mika," the vampire lord said smoothly, his crimson eyes falling on the blond as if searching for any signs of fear or hesitation.

Signs that were nowhere to be seen.

"He's all yours, Mika!" Ferid said with a mock bow. "Show me the power of our queen's favorite knight!"

Mikaela's expression hardened as he withdrew his sword from its sheath and began walking towards Guren, coldly ignoring Ferid's unwanted praise. Pointing his sword at the human commander, Mika challenged him to a duel in front of both the human and vampire armies.

And instead of being intimidated, the older man merely grinned in amusement at the baby-faced blond boy as if he found Mika's challenge a joke.

"You're sending a child to fight me? You vamps truly are overconfident bastards!"

"This 'child' is going to be sending you to the other side, human!" Mika sneered. "My sword, drink of me," he commanded before the thorny vine emerged from the hilt of his weapon to pierce his wrist.

"Well, if you're going to call on your power, it's only fair that I call on mine as well," Guren said coolly as he withdrew his own dark sword. "Mahiru-no-yo, lend me your power."

The demon's reaction was instant and Mika's brows rose slightly when he saw the pitch-black blade of Guren's dark sword start to emanate dark smoke and vibrate with an unseen energy though he showed no signs of being intimidated.

Without waiting for Mika to be ready, Guren suddenly charged at him with his sword drawn, the movement finally spurring both sides into action.

In compliance with Ferid's orders, Lacus and Rene as well as the rest of the vampires targeted Guren's immediate squad members along with the other humans, making sure to block their every attempt to assist their commander.

Not that Guren actually needed it.

As he expected, the blond vampire easily fended off his blows one after another, even when they took the fight to the air. Guren may have been confident as a fighter but still wise enough never to underestimate or take his enemies lightly regardless of their appearance or demeanor.

"Well, what's this?" Guren asked with a hint of perverse delight as soon as he and Mika were back on the ground. "For a kid, you're pretty good! And for a moment there, I thought that commander of yours took me for a fool!"

Like with Ferid himself, Mika cared very little for Guren's praise or compliments and gave a snarky retort instead.

"You _are_ a fool if you think you can take me down easily, human," he said without emotion as he repositioned his sword to attack again while waiting for his challenger to do the same.

But instead of trying to attack him again as Mika expected, the human commander's next action actually _did_ take him by surprise; Guren quickly sheathed his sword and dashed right up to Mika before pulling what appeared to be a piece of paper from his uniform jacket and slapped it to blond's forehead.

"Explode, Fudo-Myo-o!" he commanded.

The reaction was instant and the resulting blast from the cursed talisman caused a nearby building to collapse, the resulting cloud of dust impairing the vision of both the human and vampire soldiers, forcing them to cease fighting for a few moments.

After the dust cleared, Guren turned to see Mika landing on the ground several yards ahead of him. "Hmm… impressive you got out of that with only a few specks of dirt on your clothes. Still, I'd thought you'd be faster than that; especially if you _are_ the favorite of the queen like your commander says."

Mikaela sneered at him. "I evaded the blast; it never touched me. And besides, did you really think you could kill me with such a cheap parlor trick?"

Before Guren could answer, they both heard a snicker coming from behind Mika and the blond turned slightly to see Ferid standing on a broken structure behind him with a grin while clapping.

"Make no mistake, human. Mika is indeed the favorite of Queen Krul Tepes. His power and confidence should be overwhelming proof," the vampire lord said before his eyes fell on Mikaela again. "But if you're not careful, that arrogance could also get the rug pulled out from under you, child. Would you like my assistance?"

The blond snorted as if he found his commander's offer offensive. "Your assistance is not required or wanted, _my lord._ There's no way I'll lose to a bastard like him!"

Ferid chuckled as he pointed to the ground beneath Mikaela's feet. "The rug underneath you…"

Puzzled as to what the vampire lord was talking about, Mika looked down to find what appeared to be glowing cords set in an intricate pattern on the ground surrounding him before Ferid continued.

"Now do you understand, Mika? Were you really so naive to think that our enemies ever intended to fight us one on one?"

As realization finally dawned upon Mikaela, Guren's lips curled into a cruel sneer, one that rivaled even Ferid's when he mercilessly slaughtered the Hyakuya children.

"They've caught on Shigure. Kill him!"

"Yes, sir!" a female voice said from behind Mika.

Turning towards the owner of the voice, Mika saw a petite young-raven haired woman with blunt fringes standing behind him. Judging by the rings on her fingers that the glowing cords were attached to, Mika quickly figured that she was the one who set up and was about the spring the trap laid out for him.

Without another word, Shigure deftly moved her fingers and tugged on the cords, resulting in the attached kunais that have been embedded in the ground to fly into the air surrounding Mika and fly towards him. If he had not moved fast enough and deflected the sharp little daggers with his sword by swinging it in a circle and making a gust of wind around his body, they would have easily impaled him like a pin cushion.

As if he was expecting the possibility of Mikaela evading this trap as well, Guren called for another one of his squad mates.

"Goshi, the illusionary spell!"

Scanning the area around him for his next attacker, Mikaela saw another young man out of the corner of his eye who appeared the same age as Guren with sandy-blond haired tied in a short pony-tail and a goatee. However, unlike the other soldiers, he appeared totally unarmed with the only thing in his hand being a vintage gold-toned metallic pipe.

"Already on it, sir!" Goshi said, his lips curving in a small smile as he gently blew on his pipe. It didn't take Mika long to realize that the pipe _was_ his weapon when the blond saw monsters resembling large snakes with glistening fangs made entirely of purple smoke fly towards him.

Acting on his soldier's instinct, Mika swung his sword again, the resulting gust of wind decimating Goshi's illusions before they could touch him when the blond suddenly heard a voice behind him.

"And that's checkmate!" Guren said with a smug grin as he prepared to make the killing blow before Mikaela could turn around to confront him.

However, the blow never came for Ferid suddenly appeared between the two and warded off the human's attack by blocking Guren's sword with his own.

Mikaela glared at the vampire lord for going against his wishes to stay out of his fight with Guren but Ferid merely smirked and said:

"It looked like you _did_ need my help after all, Mika. Now you owe me one. After all, Queen Krul would be rather displeased with me if I let anything happen to you."

Were they not locked in a heated battle, Mika would have told his ex-benefactor that he could care less what Krul would say or do to Ferid for failing to protect him. The vampire lord didn't give him a chance anyway before he cocked his arm and backhanded Guren across the face.

With Ferid's vampiric strength, he could have easily decapitated the other man but purposely held back and only struck Guren hard enough to send him flying dozens of yards away from Mika and himself.

Mito and Sayuri watched in shock as their commander was flung through the air like a ragdoll, his body colliding with two or three structures before he finally landed against a slab of concrete. As painful as it was, the lieutenant colonel was grateful he crashed against something flat instead of jagged or he might have been totally incapacitated.

Wiping the blood that was coming down a corner of his mouth, Guren coughed and grimaced at the taste. "Damn, it's worse than I thought," he muttered as he looked at Ferid and Mika. "That bastard must be a noble."

After giving the battered human commander a look of amusement, Ferid turned back to Mika again. "I hope you take this as a valuable lesson, Mika. You should never underestimate the livestock; there's nothing honorable how about these vile vermin fight. Though as an ex-human yourself, you should already know that."

Mika bared his fangs at the older vampire. "The same could be said of you, _my lord!"_ he snarled.

Like always, Ferid brushed off the blond boy's insult. "In any case, we'd best get serious and end this quickly. Personally, I'd like to be home in time for dinner."

"Like I said before, Ferid, I don't need your help; I'm more than capable of figuring out their strategies myself," Mika said coldly as his irritation at the vampire lord finally made him drop the formalities.

"Hmm… there's that arrogance and sharp tongue again! I do wonder how our lovely queen puts up with you, Mika…" Ferid teased.

The blond ignored him and turned back to face Guren. "My sword, drink again," he commanded without taking his eyes off his enemy.

Catching onto Mikaela's intention, Guren decided to pull his own trump card and withdrew a small plastic case filled with green tablets from his uniform pocket.

"Looks like I'll have to take two pills to pull this one off…" he muttered.

Sayuri, who was locked in combat with Lacus not far away, gasped when she heard her superior's intent. "Don't do it, sir!" she cried while doing her best not to look away from her opponent.

The purple-haired vampire snickered. "You should be more concerned about yourself than him, little girl. Take your eyes off the enemy for even a second and you might end up dead."

Before Sayuri could respond, another sharp feminine voice cut in. "Speak for yourself, bloodsucker!" Mito said coldly before suddenly showing up at Lacus's side and pivoting on her left leg before striking him hard in the chest with her fist, knocking the purple-haired vampire a safe distance away from Sayuri and herself.

If he were a human, Mito would have crushed his sternum with the force she put behind her blow but the strike merely knocked the wind out of Lacus for a brief moment.

"Oh, wow, not bad!" the purple-haired vampire praised with a grin after he recovered from the blow. "And for a moment there, I thought you were just a pretty face, lady!"

Ignoring Lacus, both Sayuri and Mito turned to their commander. "Sir, I strongly advise you not to take more than one pill!" the crimson-haired woman warned before giving Lacus a quick glare to let him know she was still watching him in case he tried to attack again.

"If you die of shock from overdosing, you won't be able to lead us!" Sayuri added with a pleading look in her eyes.

Guren closed his eyes for a brief moment before forcing himself to his feet. "What other choice do we have? If I don't take them, we could all end up dead anyway, especially since our reinforcements haven't arrived yet. Do you want me to take that gamble, ladies?"

Not waiting for either woman to answer, Mika impatiently cut in. "Are you going to fight or just stand there and talk, human?"

"My, what a polite little vampire you are!" Guren said sarcastically. "Would you be so good as to give me a little more time to get ready?"

Mika's brows rose as he gave the other man a look of astonishment. "Are you serious? How much time could you possibly need?"

"Oh, about twenty seconds or so to take my meds if you can kindly wait-"

Before he utter another word, Mikaela suddenly vanished from Guren's sight before reappearing before him with his sword raised. Knowing very well that the blond had no intention of granting his request, Guren was prepared and quickly raised his own sword to block Mika's attack.

"Haha, well you can't blame a guy for trying, can't you?" he joked. "Is it my imagination or are you a lot faster than before?"

Mika's eyes narrowed as he locked swords with the older man. "I was actually going easy on you, human. Don't think I'll be holding back anymore. I suggest you not take me lightly if you don't want to die," he sneered.

"Heh, holding back? You really are as young as you look, aren't you, boy? If you were truly a seasoned warrior, you'd know that holding back on the battlefield could easily get you killed, vampire or human." Guren shot back while shoving his weapon against Mika's.

"And Ferid tells _me_ I'm arrogant and overconfident," Mikaela growled before using all of his strength to shove his opponent back, knocking the older man off his feet and sent him landing on the ground before the concrete slab Ferid knocked him into before.

Had he not been weakened from Ferid's attack earlier, Guren might have been able to fend Mikaela off but now the fatigue from being pommeled by two powerful vampires was starting to take a toll on his body.

"Damn you…" Guren snarled with a defiant look on his face as he saw the blond vampire slowly approach with his sword raised to deliver the killing blow. The only difference being that Mika displayed no signs of the smug satisfaction Guren himself showed when he thought he had the upper hand after catching the blond off guard with the cursed talisman.

Ferid, who had been watching the entire exchange between his subordinate and the human commander in silence, finally spoke when his sharp vampiric hearing picked up the sound of numerous humans approaching.

"Hmm, it looks like his back-up has finally arrived. I suggest you go ahead and put the bastard out of his misery, Mika," the vampire lord said coolly when he saw what appeared to be two squads of teenage JIDA soldiers heading their way.

Although none of them had Ferid's superhuman vision, both Shinoa's and Satoshi's squads were able to get close enough to see what was happening.

"This is bad!" Shinoa exclaimed. "The lieutenant colonel's been cornered! We have to do something quick before he gets killed!"

Satoshi nodded. "I agree, Shinoa! Everyone, take your pills; we'll save him and retreat. And remember, no more than one!" he ordered.

No one needed to be told twice; as soon as Satoshi gave the order, both squads pulled out their cases and popped a pill into their mouths while taking care not to drop the rest in their haste to save Guren.

Especially Yuichiro.

Ignoring the approaching humans who had just arrived to join the fray, Mika drew his sword back and looked Guren directly in the eye. Even though the man was looking death right in the face, he still showed no signs of fear, something even the blond had to admit was admirable.

"You fight well for a human, I'll give you that. Do you have any last words you'd like to share?"

Instead of answering right away, Guren glanced over Mikaela's shoulder and his expression became smug again when he saw Yuichiro rushing ahead of the others to come to his rescue.

"Don't look behind you, vampire…" he sneered.

Puzzled as to what the older man meant, Mikaela quickly turned around and his eyes widened when he saw a young teenage girl with long raven hair tied up in a high ponytail and sharp green eyes running at him with her sword drawn.

"Bastard, you get away from Guren right now!" she screamed.

 _No, it can't be…_

Before the blond could even get her name past his lips, Mikaela felt Yuichiro's sword pierce his chest as she used all her strength to drive it into him up to the hilt.

With their faces only a few inches apart, Yuichiro finally got a good look at the vampire who had intended to take her mentor's life only moments before and her expression became a mirror of his when recognition finally set in.

That soft and wavy blond hair…

Those ocean-blue eyes…

That angelic face…

 _No… it's not possible…_

"Mika?"

 **A/N: For the enjoyment of my readers, I invite everyone to look up my profiles on Twitter and DeviantArt to find artwork/illustration of both my fem!Yuu stories. My pen-name there is the same as on FF. Net and Ao3: Elly3981. Enjoy and please leave comments and reviews; they are like digital hugs to me. ^^**


	17. The Worst Foe Lies Within the Self I

**Disclaimer: I do not own Owari no Seraph (Seraph of the End). I write this for your enjoyment only. This story is an alternate version of the Shibuya/Shinjuku arc with differences from the original. Please refer to the footnotes at the end. On another note, I have some artwork for both my fem!Yuu fics on DeviantArt and Twitter. My pen name on both sites is the same as on Fanfiction. Net and Ao3: Elly3981. Once again, I would like to thank my beta reader, ResidentialPsycho for her help in making this fic possible. Enjoy and please review!**

 **Chapter 17: The Worst Foe Lies Within the Self, Part I**

 _No…_

 _It can't be…_

 _He died years ago…_

"Mika?"

Even with her blond orphanage brother staring her right in the face, Yuichiro's mind continued to deny what was right before her eyes.

Mikaela himself also had difficulty believing that the girl who had just ran him through was the very one he had spent the last half-decade searching for since he had been turned.

That was, until his eyes slowly dropped from Yuichiro's face to the gold heart-shaped locket resting above her breasts, the one thing that confirmed without a doubt, what Mika had suspected the moment he turned from Guren to see her charging at him with her sword drawn.

Because the locket was a one-of-a-kind piece, the only one ever made. By Ferid Bathory himself. ***1***

And if Yuichiro still had any doubts as well, the words that fumbled out of the blond vampire's mouth next erased them for good.

"Y…Yuu-chan?"

The ravenette was so stunned at hearing her childhood nickname for the first time in years that she completely forgot her predicament until she heard the voice of her mentor calling out from behind Mika.

"What're you waiting for, Yuu?!" Guren shouted impatiently. "Activate the curse and kill him! Or did you just get that sword for show?!"

Yuichiro shook her head. "No… I can't…" she protested, not thinking to tell her guardian why.

Not like it would have made any difference. Knowing that he was going to have to deal with Yuichiro's disobedience later, Guren grabbed his own sword in frustration and attempted to finish what his ward had started himself.

Mika, however, easily saw it coming and quickly removed Yuichiro's sword from his chest before blocking Guren's attack and jumping out of the way, fumbling through the air for a few moments before landing on the ground in a crouched position beyond the reach of both his orphanage sister and her mentor.

"Mika!" Yuichiro cried, her concern for Mikaela prompting her to begin running towards him but Guren would not allow it.

"Yuichiro, stay away from that creature!" the older man shouted as he grabbed her by arm before she could take more than a few steps and forcibly pulled her behind him as if she were a child.

"Hey, what're you doing, Guren, I'm not a child!" Yuu protested. That got her a glare from her guardian.

"No? Well, your actions say otherwise, brat! Have you forgotten this is a war zone and that I have better things to do than to babysit you?!" he snapped. ***2***

Her face burning with humiliation, Yuichiro returned Guren's glare and jerked her arm out of his grasp. Before she could make a scathing reply, the ravenette heard the voices of her other friends calling out to her. Turning, both Yuu and Guren saw Shinoa's and Satoshi's squads running towards them with concern and confusion lacing their features.

"Hey, what's going on, Yuu? Why didn't you activate the curse and kill him?" Satoshi asked in astonishment when both squads finally caught up to their raven-haired comrade and commander.

"He's right, dummy! I've never seen you hesitate to take down a vamp before! Weren't _you_ the one always yapping about how you'd wipe them all off the face of the earth?!" Mitsuba demanded.

While the same questions were on Shinoa's mind, the purple-haired girl said nothing but chose to help Guren to his feet when the pain and exhaustion from his duel with Ferid and Mika finally caught up with him and made him drop to his knees while coughing up blood. Taking the handkerchief she offered, Guren forgot Yuu for a moment to get some much-needed relief and allowed his ward's other friends to do the talking.

Upon noticing the confused expression on Yuichiro's face, Yoichi became concerned. Contrary to what others thought, the brunette boy was more perceptive than he let on.

"What's wrong, Yuu? You don't look so good."

"I'll say…" Daisuke agreed. "From the way you've been acting, I'd think you actually know that blond vamp or something…"

"What? Is that true?" Kimizuki asked curiously as he lowered his twin swords and allowed his gaze to wonder towards the blond vampire in question.

Instead of answering, Yuichiro took advantage of her guardian's incapacitated state to take a few steps towards the blond young man she thought had died as a boy trying to protect her from a sadistic vampire lord with long silver hair and the build of a high-fashion runway model.

The same one who was standing behind him now.

"Mikaela… it's really you, isn't it?" Yuichiro asked, making sure she was loud enough to be heard over the battlefield.

The Harada twins gasped softly when they realized that Yuichiro had just called for the blond vampire by name, proving that she did indeed know him.

"Who is that vampire? Her boyfriend?" Risa gasped. Her twin shot her a glare.

"Shhh! Watch your mouth, Risa! We don't know that!" Riku hissed, not wanting her sister to say anything that might get Yuichiro in trouble.

Ferid, who had just witnessed the entire scene in amusement, chuckled when his sharp vampiric vision finally took in the young raven-haired girl Mika had allowed to stab him in the chest without making any attempt to block or evade.

"Well, what's this?" he asked, his voice full of wonder as crossed his arms and leaned forward slightly. "Mika's angel really _is_ a princess! Even I never knew! And to think I spent all these years wondering why you were so hell-bent on finding your precious Yuu-chan!"

Though it had been years since he last saw her, Ferid still recognized Yuichiro as the little spitfire who had the guts to run up and shoot him in the head at point-blank range with his own revolver. She might have grown out her hair and donned female garb since then, but Ferid still hadn't forgotten the hatred in her sharp green eyes when she blew his brains out in a rage for slaughtering her family. He also recognized the locket Yuu wore around her neck as the one he made with his own hands and gave to Mikaela in exchange for the boy's blood.

Mikaela gritted his teeth when he realized that Ferid had easily deduced the truth about Yuichiro. He knew his ex-benefactor was wickedly cunning and that it was only a matter of time before Ferid discovered his favorite orphanage brother was really a sister.

And now that he knew, the bastard would undoubtedly never let Mika hear the end of keeping that little detail a secret from him.

Mika was about to tell Ferid to shut his trap when they both heard a rude snicker in the background from Lacus who was dueling with Sayuri again.

"Haha! I always thought Yuu-chan was a girl! I mean, who calls another boy 'Yuu-chan'?" the purple-haired vampire exclaimed humorously.

Even Rene, who normally showed little to no interest in the world around him other than obeying orders and fighting, forgot his opponent, Mito, for a moment and raised a brow.

"I must admit that I'm hurt you never told me your lovely Yuu-chan was a girl! Why, don't you trust me, Mika?" Ferid teased, knowing his words would undoubtedly grate on the younger vampire's nerves.

Now that the cat was finally out of the bag, Mikaela's obsession with finding and rescuing his missing orphanage 'brother' over the last four years finally made sense as well as eliminating any notion Ferid once had of his protégé leaning in _that_ direction.

Guren, who had finally managed to recover at least somewhat from his painful injuries, glared at the silver-haired vampire lord while clutching the front of his uniform jacket.

"What the fuck? Why are you suddenly so interested in Yuu's gender?" he demanded.

"Well, why not?" Ferid asked carelessly with a shrug of his shoulders before he suddenly appeared at Guren's side and kicked him into a nearby telephone pole, much to Shinoa's chagrin after she had exerted her energy into helping her commander up.

"Guren!" Yuichiro cried. Forgetting Ferid and Mika for a moment, the ravenette attempted to rush to her mentor's aid when she suddenly saw the silver-haired vampire lord appear right in front of her out of thin air, no doubt thanks to his vampiric speed which enabled him to move faster than the human eye could see.

"Get out of my way, you fucking bastard!" Yuichiro snarled as she drew Asuramaru and attempted to attack him, the sudden movement finally spurring both sides back into action again.

Ferid clucked his tongue as he raised his sword to meet hers. "Goodness, that's no way for a lady to talk!" he teased. "But then again, your parents probably never taught you how to act like one and it looks like your mentor didn't either."

"Shut your mouth!" the girl raged, ignoring the sting of the curse marks appearing on her skin as her sword swings started to become less focused with her anger peaking. "I should take your head right now for what you did to Akane and the others!"

Shinoa gasped in alarm when she realized her squad mate was playing right into the noble's trap. Unlike the other vampires she fought before, Yuichiro had a tragic history with this particular one which made it easier for him to bait her.

"Yuichiro, stop, he's playing you! Get away from him!" Shinoa shouted.

"She's right!" Satoshi added. "It's a trap! I thought you were smarter than that, Miss Hyakuya!"

But the other girl was too enraged to care. Yuichiro had once vowed that if she could not rid the world of _all_ the vampires, she would do everything she could to rid it of _Ferid_ in particular and now was her chance to make good on that vow.

Ferid grinned as he easily fended off Yuichiro's blows one after the other. The girl was without a doubt, a skilled swordmaiden. But her tendency to fight with her emotions was an obvious weakness compared to himself who could fight without being impaired by emotions. The fact that Ferid also had centuries of sword-fighting experience under his belt, gave him a considerable advantage over Yuichiro as well.

"As ferocious as ever, I see!" he joked. "You're better than I thought so it looks like I might have to start fighting you seriously after all!"

Putting a bit more force into his next attack, Ferid finally knocked Yuichiro's sword arm back far enough to leave her wide open before lunging forward with the intent to drink her blood.

"Let's have a taste now, shall we?"

Knowing she could not bring her sword arm back fast enough to fend off the vampire lord hungry for her blood, Yuichiro reached for the semi-automatic she kept at her side as a back-up weapon with her other hand in a desperate attempt to defend herself, hoping that the bullet would at least slow Ferid down enough for her to get away if not kill him.

But before he could even touch her, Ferid's arm was suddenly severed from his torso in a splash of blood and Yuichiro looked behind him to find Mika standing in the distance with his own sword raised and a very dark expression on his face. She quickly realized that the gust of wind produced by Mika's sword was what just sliced off her attacker's arm.

"Don't touch her, or I'll kill you with my own hands, _my lord!"_ he snarled.

"Tsk, Mika, I never intended to harm your precious Yuu-chan; you must really learn how to take a joke!" Ferid said smoothly as he calmly walked over to where his severed arm fell and picked it up before continuing.

"So what do you want to do now that you've finally found your princess?" he asked after returning to the blond's side. "I must say I can't blame you for being so obsessed with her; she is a very lovely girl."

"I'll save her myself…" Mika growled as his eyes wandered to Yuichiro again.

Ferid gave him an amused look as he reattached his arm and opened and closed his fist while holding his forearm with his other hand.

"Oh, and how do you propose to do that? As happy as she is to see you, I doubt Yuichiro will come back to Sanguinem with us willingly. Oh, I know! How about I make her one of us? That way, she could be with you forever, Mika!"

"Never!" Mika hissed as he turned and suddenly grabbed his commander by the throat, a blatant act of mutiny that could've easily gotten him executed were he not so valuable to the queen who favored him. "I said I'll kill you myself if you so much as lay a finger on Yuu-chan and I meant it!"

"My, my, what an audacious bastard you are, Mr. Hyakuya…" a smooth voice said from behind them before Ferid could reply.

Releasing his hand from the older vampire's throat, both Mika and Ferid turned to see Crowley Eusford approaching them with a casual expression on his face as if he was fashionably late to a party instead of an important battle. As usual, the other noble was flanked by his retainers, Horn Skuld and Chess Belle. ***3***

Instead of being irked that Mika had just tried to strangle him, Ferid turned his annoyance on Crowley instead.

"My, you sure took your sweet time, Lord Eusford. I was wondering if you were even going to show up at all."

Sighing, the other noble made a polite bow in a gesture of humility while his retainers followed suit.

"Forgive me, my lord. I would have been here sooner but got held up with some _very_ minor things…" Crowley apologized before raising his head and allowing his eyes to fall upon the young girl who had piqued Ferid's and Mika's interest as well as his own.

As soon as he looked her in the eye, Yuichiro gasped when she recognized Crowley along with Horn and Chess as the vampires her squad ran into as they were approaching Shinjuku.

"You!" the ravenette exclaimed as she raised Asuramaru again, holding it firmly in both hands in front of her in a defensive stance in case he intended to attack.

Ferid raised a brow. "You two met?"

Crowley gave Yuichiro a look of amusement before smirking at Ferid. "I do believe we have, my lord. Unfortunately, I have not had the pleasure of knowing her name."

"It's Yuichiro Hyakuya and she's my sister so don't even think about trying to get a bite out of her, Crowley!" Mika hissed, knowing full well the maroon-haired vampire lord relished the blood of young warriors.

Crowley raised a brow and gave the blond a smile reminiscent of a plastic doll.

"Yuichiro? So _she's_ the one you've obsessing over all these years! And for the longest time, I actually thought you were pining for another boy! Now, what kind of parents would give their daughter a boy's name?"

"Probably the same kind of parents who would give their son a girl's name," Ferid answered humorously as his eyes fell on Mika.

The blond glared at both of his superiors. "What our parents named us and why isn't really any of your business!" he snapped.

Ferid chuckled. "I suppose you're right, Mika dear. I was going to propose killing the other humans to save your precious Yuu-chan but now that Crowley is here, there's no longer any need. We'll just capture the MDC and make them our livestock. All of them."

Yuichiro cringed when she heard Ferid utter the one word she despised most for it brought back unpleasant memories of having her blood drained from her body against her will every single week for nearly half a decade while living meagerly in the cold underground vampire city as a prisoner.

"Never! I'll never let you take me back to that hell-hole alive, you hear?!" the girl shouted as she raised Asuramaru and dared Ferid and Crowley to try.

Alarmed, Guren called out to her despite the pain in his lungs from coughing up blood earlier. "Yuichiro, don't try to take them on alone; that's an order!"

Turning, the ravenette found her mentor near the telephone pole where Ferid had kicked him earlier, standing but bending over slightly with one of his arms draped over Mito's shoulders. Sayuri was also next to him indicating that she and Mito must have fought off Lacus and Rene together and came to Guren's aid while she was dueling with Ferid.

Not wanting to give Ferid or Crowley a chance to capture Yuu, Mika moved quickly and Yuichiro suddenly saw him vanish from her sight before finding herself almost flying through the air while being carried bridal style by her blond orphanage brother as easily as if she were made out of feathers.

Blushing furiously, the ravenette cried out: "M…Mika! What's going on? What do you think you're doing?"

But the blond did not answer right away and kept running as well as springing from one rooftop to the next like a deer, his goal being to get his orphanage sister as far away from the battlefield and the people she called her comrades as possible.

Realizing that Mikaela was attempting to abduct Yuichiro, Guren called out to Yoichi and Takeshi. As archers, the two boys had the best chance of stopping the blond vampire before he made off with Yuu as his hostage.

"Saehara! Satome! Stop that vampire but don't hurt Yuichiro!" he ordered.

"And how're we supposed to do that, sir?" Takeshi demanded as he lowered his crossbow and gave his superior an incredulous look.

Guren glared at him. "Use your head, you damn idiot!" he shouted impatiently, ignoring Sayuri's attempts to calm him lest he reopened his wounds before his demon could heal them. "Shoot him in the legs if you must but do _not_ let the bastard get away or injure Yuu!"

Finally catching on, Takeshi and Yoichi nodded in understanding and both archers aimed their weapons at the fleeing blond vampire.

"Yes, sir!" they said in unison as they attempted to immobilize Mika and force him to release Yuu.

Unfortunately, such a thing was much easier said than done for despite not being a noble himself, Mika was still stronger and faster than an average common vampire.

Much to Yoichi's and Takeshi's (and Guren's) frustration, the boys' arrows failed to even graze Mikaela's legs or his flowing, billowing cape despite their best efforts. And aiming anywhere else on the vampire's body would have been too risky considering that he was carrying Yuichiro and holding her close to his chest.

"Mika, stop, you can't just take me away from the battlefield without an explanation! I have a duty as a soldier of the Demon Army!" Yuichiro cried.

After dodging yet another arrow from the archers below them, Mikaela finally answered his orphanage sister.

"The short version is that you shouldn't be with these humans, especially that mentor of yours!" he said harshly.

"What? That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard! You don't even know Guren so how can you say that?!"

Mika did not respond and when Yuu realized she wasn't going to be getting an answer from him any time soon, the girl made herself difficult by rolling around persistently in his arms until he released her after landing on the rooftop of a nearby building.

"Yuu-chan, be careful! If you made me slip, we could have both fallen from a higher place!" Mika scolded Yuu as if she were still the twelve-year old child he lived with in the vampire city instead of the young woman she was now.

Yuichiro said nothing at first but let her eyes take in Mikaela's new appearance again. Something was definitely different about her blond orphanage brother and it wasn't just that he had grown up.

"Mika… you said that I shouldn't be with 'the humans'? What's that supposed to mean? You're human too, aren't you?"

Though he did not answer, young man's pained expression at her question made Yuu instantly regret asking; how could she after what she had just seen him do? To her knowledge, no human could easily spring from one building to another like a deer or move faster than the eye could see, even Guren.

As if he were too ashamed to let Yuichiro see him, Mikaela closed his eyes and turned his head away from her.

But the girl was not to be deterred easily and slowly approached her orphanage brother. If he would not tell her, then she would simply have to find out for herself.

"Mika, please, look at me…" Yuu pleaded as she gently placed her hands on the sides of his head and compelled him to face her and open his eyes. The girl had been suspecting it for a while now but she had to be sure.

At first, Mikaela hesitated but finally gave in, turned his head in Yuichiro's direction, and slowly opened his eyes to allow her a glimpse of the ocean blue orbs she had so missed since their tragic parting in Sanguinem nearly half a decade earlier.

Yuichiro released a soft gasp as she felt her own eyes start to tear up. Mikaela's eyes were as beautiful as she remembered. But even so, they were not the same. The round pupils she was accustomed to seeing were now cat-like slits. To sate her curiosity further, Yuu lightly brushed her thumbs across the tops of Mika's ears and discovered that while they were not as pointy as those of a full vampire's, they were clearly not round human ears either.

Lastly, Yuu gently placed a hand under her brother's chin and deftly pried his mouth open slightly with her thumb just as Krul had when she compelled him to accept his new fate.

Knowing it was inevitable that Yuichiro would find out the truth about him sooner or later, Mikeala did not attempt to resist or pull away when he felt her stick the tip of her forefinger into his mouth and gently brushed it along his gums until she felt the one thing that finally confirmed her suspicion.

Yuu gasped and carefully pulled her finger back before Mika's fang could nick her skin. So it was as she had feared.

Mikaela Hyakuya was no longer human.

He had been changed.

"Mika…I'm so sorry…" she said sadly.

Although she didn't want to believe it, Yuichiro knew there could be no other explanation as to how Mikaela could have survived the horrific injuries he sustained from Ferid that fateful night. And though she had dreamt and imagined it countless times since then, Yuichiro never actually saw Mikaela die before she left him behind and escaped Sanguinem.

The blond shook his head. "Don't be, Yuu-chan. It wasn't your fault."

"Yes, it was!" Yuu insisted, her voice breaking. "I shouldn't have left you! This wouldn't have happened if I had taken you with me!"

"You're wrong, Yuu-chan!" Mika retorted harshly. "There was _no_ way you could have escaped with me as a burden and if you stayed behind, you would have been captured and made livestock again. Or worse, turned just like me!"

Yuichiro wanted to protest further but deep down, she knew Mikaela was right. Even if she had, by some miracle of God, managed to get her brother out of Sanguinem, it was likely he would have died of blood loss from his wounds long before Guren, Sayuri, or Shigure could do anything to help him.

So instead, she asked: "How did it happen?"

Mika closed his eyes and shook his head as he recalled his agonizing transformation into vampirism, a choice he freely made so that he could live on and search for his orphanage sister.

"It doesn't matter now…" the blond said firmly as he closed his hands around Yuichiro's arms. "What does matter is that you get as far away from here with me as possible. Your guardian is a very dangerous man and you don't even realize it!"

Yuichiro was startled to hear Mikaela talk about Guren as though he knew him better than she did.

"Again with that! You never even _met_ Guren before today so how can you possibly know such a thing?"

"Are you serious?" the blond asked incredulously. Haven't you notice the arrows flying at us before we landed here? Who do you think ordered those archers from _your own army_ to fire them? Don't you find it odd Guren was willing to risk your safety to stop me from taking you away? You're just a tool to him and he doesn't mind using damaged goods, Yuu-chan!"

"I…!" Yuichiro was unsure how to answer her brother and turned around to see that the battle had commenced again with the vampires seeming to have the upper hand. With her absence, Shinoa's squad was incomplete and dependent on Satoshi's squad for support and protection.

But even then, it was still a losing battle. The nobles who had just recently showed up with their minions had begun to surround both Shinoa's and Satoshi's squads, cutting them off from Guren and his more experienced squad members.

And from the look of things, the older squad had problems of their own as well.

Yuichiro watched in horror as Ferid grabbed Guren and lifted him into the air by his throat, the latter unable to fight back because he had been weakened by his combat injuries as well as being knocked into multiple structures in a short span of time. Sayuri and Mito were locked in combat with Lacus and Rene again while Goshi and Shigure had their hands full fighting for their own lives against the common vampires that kept coming at them like vermin out of control.

The ravenette grabbed the handle of her sword as was about to call upon her demon for his assistance in rushing her back into the battle taking place on the streets below when she felt Mika grab her from behind, wrapping his arms around her torso to keep her from moving.

"Don't, Yuu-chan! There's nothing you can do for them nor should you try! They're just using you for their own ends!"

"Let go, Mika! I can't just leave them!" the girl wailed as she struggled in the blond's ironclad hold, tears of frustration and fear falling down her face.

Mika was about to make another attempt to persuade his sister to leave her guardian and comrades to their fate because they didn't deserved to be saved when he suddenly felt her body growing hot in his arms. So much that it was starting to cause him discomfort to hold onto her.

"Yuu-chan, what's wrong?" the blond asked frantically as he released Yuichiro and watched as she took a few steps away from him, her eyes never leaving his.

"I feel so hot, Mika… it feels like I'm being burned alive from inside…" she gasped as her hand slowly wandered up to her throat to reach for the locket he gave her as if it were a lifeline.

Forgetting Mikaela and the world around her for a moment, Yuichiro closed her eyes and silently called for her demon in her thoughts.

 _"_ _Asuramaru, what's happening to me? Why do I feel so hot? Are you trying to possess me?"_

 _"_ _Hmm? No… I'm not doing anything… However, it looks like we've got a problem…"_

 _"_ _What is it?"_

 _"_ _I never thought I'd see the day I would actually be frightened of the monster living inside the human I possess…"_

 _"_ _What on earth are you talking about?"_

 _"_ _Look at the sky, Yuichiro, can you see it?"_

 _The ravenette slowly opened her eyes inside the world of her mind and looked up to see her purple-haired demon standing on the hilt of a giant version of her sword in the real world._

 _Without turning around, Asuramaru continued. "There, do you see how the clouds are parting? It could be a sign that the heavens are opening to pass judgment on this cursed world. Perhaps your brother is right; you should escape with him while you still can. Leave your guardian and comrades behind. It may be the only chance you have to preserve your humanity."_

 _Confused, Yuichiro was about to ask her demon to give a more thorough explanation, one that she could actually understand, when both of them heard the sound of a trumpet being blown._

 _Yuichiro gasped as she saw what appeared to be a humanoid figure with wings clad in flowing white robes blowing on a horn while gliding effortlessly across the sky above them._

 _"_ _What is that?"_

 _Instead of answering, her demon sighed and turned to face her before shaking his head as if in disappointment._

 _"_ _It looks like my warning came too late; the part of you that isn't human is about to run wild!"_

 **Footnotes:**

 **1\. The locket Mika gave fem!Yuu was made by Ferid Bathory and given to Mika who in turn gave it to fem!Yuu as a birthday gift the night they were forced to part in Sanguinem. It is an important piece because it identifies her to him beyond a doubt after she drops her male disguise and accepts being a girl. The locket is inspired by AngeliqueNade/Smartanimegirl of DeviantArt and Twitter.**

 **2\. In canon, Guren strikes male!Yuu out of frustration for refusing to kill Mika after realizing who he was. In my AU, he is easier on fem!Yuu but still tries to keep her away from Mika out of jealousy and over-protectivness.**

 **3\. The manga/anime makes no mention of why Crowley was late to the Shinjuku Battle but my guess is that he was purposely stalling considering how laid back he is and how much he dislikes Ferid.**


	18. The Worst Foe Lies Within the Self II

**Disclaimer: I do not own Owari no Seraph (Seraph of the End). I write this for your enjoyment only. This story is an alternate version of the Shibuya/Shinjuku arc with differences from the original; please refer to the footnotes at the end. Once again, I would like to thank my beta reader, ResidentialPsycho, for her help in making this fic possible. Enjoy and please review!**

 **Chapter 18: The Worst Foe Lies Within the Self, Part II**

"Yuu-chan, what's wrong? Talk to me, please!" Mika pleaded.

But Yuichiro could not. Her body had become agonizingly hot and she was struggling just to breathe. On reflex, the ravenette did what became second nature to her whenever she found herself in any difficult situation.

She reached for her most treasured possession, her heart-shaped locket.

As soon as Yuichiro's fist closed around the trinket, her eyes flew open and her other arm reached towards Mikaela but instead of the usual green orbs the blond was used to seeing, her eyes were now red. And not even like a vampire's with normal white sclera and black pupils. No, the girl's eyes were a glowing deep pit of crimson, red as the fires of hell, and when she finally opened her mouth, a piercing scream several octaves above that attainable by any human or vampire, escaped.

"AAAAHHH!"

During their four years apart, Mikaela Hyakuya had seen many horrors during his numerous missions beyond Sanguinem but not one of them could have prepared him for what was unfolding before his eyes now. To his horror, he saw his sister's ponytail become loose, letting her long raven hair billow about her head and torso like a black cloud while her fingernails became long talons and two dark wings with razor-sharp feathers burst from her shoulder blades through her uniform as she turned into what could only be described as an abomination.

"It's just as I thought, the humans _are_ using you! That bastard, Guren! I'll make him pay for this!" Mikaela cursed as he desperately tried to reason with Yuichiro, even in her monstrous state.

"Yuu-chan, I know you're in there! Please, leave all this behind and come with me!" he cried but soon found that his plea had fallen on deaf ears as Yuichiro maliciously swung her sword at him, the resulting gust of wind ten times stronger than the usual one Asuramaru released against her enemies when she was in human form.

And had he had not evaded it in time, the airy blast would have easily sliced Mikaela in half. It didn't take the blond long to realize that he was not the only one who noticed Yuichiro's transformation. Her scream was so loud, it literally shattered the glass on every building, car, and structure within a ten-mile radius and stopped everyone on the battlefield below, vampire and human, dead in their tracks.

"Now what in the world is _that?"_ Ferid asked curiously as he forgot Guren for a moment and turned his head to look at the creature that was now Yuichiro Hyakuya. If he had to describe it, the noble would say that her new appearance was reminiscent of the harpies of Greek legend. ***1***

Despite being in agonizing pain, the lieutenant colonel still managed a smug smile while locked in his assailant's iron-clad grip. "Heh, looks like victory isn't so certain for you bloodsuckers anymore…" he sneered.

Turning back to Guren, Ferid narrowed his eyes. "What is that thing? You know, don't you? Have you been raising a monster under our noses all along?" he demanded while retaining a pleasant tone.

If he could, Guren would have spat into Ferid's face for insulting his ward. "Are you calling my girl a monster? I'd prefer to think of her as a fury!" ***2*** he answered proudly as he tried to imitate the vampire lord's polite tone even though the contempt in his voice was still quite obvious.

Crowley, who had lost interest in fighting Shinoa, Mitsuba, and the Harada twins alongside Horn and Chess now that Yuichiro had caught his attention again, ordered his retainers to cease their attacks. Both vampire women, who had virtually no interest in doing battle unless it was to assist their lord or serve his interests, obeyed and retreated.

"I don't know what that is but it doesn't look good…" Crowley said as he started to approach Yuichiro, who had just flown off the building where she had transformed.

As he did with any other unusual opponent he encountered, the maroon-haired vampire lord whistled and gave Yuichiro a curious look like cat toying with a poisonous snake.

Shinoa glared at Crowley's retreating back while maintaining a tight grip on her demon scythe. "How can you say that so casually?" she demanded as if the noble was an ignorant friend instead of the deadly enemy he was.

For a moment, Crowley turned his head and gave the purple-haired girl a look of amusement over his shoulder. "Would you rather see me shivering in fear the way you and your cute little squad are doing now?" he asked mirthlessly.

Mitsuba was about to make a scathing reply to the noble's barb when she, Shinoa, and the Harada twins saw Yuichiro suddenly charging towards Crowley with her sword drawn. Instead of running, she was now gliding towards him on her wings at breakneck speed like a hawk speeding towards its unsuspecting prey from the air.

"Shit, she's coming!" Riku cried as she pointed with one of her sai over Crowley's shoulder.

Not like the warning was even necessary for Crowley could still sense the oncoming attack from a mile away and turned around quickly enough to meet Yuichiro's sword with his own.

What happened next however, _did_ manage to catch even Crowley off guard for Yuichiro's blow was powerful enough to send him flying through the air and crashing into a nearby building. The surrounding humans and vampires who witnessed the scene were just as stunned. ***3***

All except for Guren who looked as though he expected no less of his young ward. The lieutenant colonel watched with smug satisfaction as Yuichiro lashed out at the other vampires who abandoned their human opponents to focus their attacks on her instead.

And just as she did with Crowley, Yuichiro easily swatted and smashed the bloodsuckers one after another as if they were mere flies. Many were killed on the spot because they did not have the strength of their noble superiors. Others were knocked into unconsciousness if they were lucky. The humans, on the other hand, who were smart enough not to make any attempts to take Yuichiro on, hid themselves and watched her rage when they realize she did not discriminate on whom she attacked. ***4***

"What's happening to Yuichiro?" Mito demanded as she turned to Sayuri with fear apparent in her eyes.

"I…I don't know!" the other woman answered as she placed a hand over her mouth to repress the scream that wanted to escape from her throat.

Sometime during Yuichiro's rampage, Crowley managed to recover and made his way back to Ferid's side.

"My lord, would you care to explain what that creature is? I'm not all too pleased she got my clothes dirty…"

Ferid turned to Guren and narrowed his eyes at the human in his iron-clad grip.

"It looks like the humans are playing God, making monsters they cannot control. Isn't that right, Ichinose? Well this wouldn't be the first time. It looks like they never learn…"

"Like you are any better…" the other man spat.

Before Ferid could reply, they heard another blood-curdling scream as Yuichiro tried to find more victims after the smarter vampires chose to back off upon seeing their brethren ripped to shreds or knocked into unconsciousness.

Yoichi, whose concern for Yuichiro overpowered his fear, made a brave, even if unwise, attempt to get through to her. Leaving his hiding spot with Takeshi behind an abandoned car, the brunette boy put away his bow and raised his arms into the air with his palms facing outward to show Yuichiro that he was unarmed and had no intention of fighting her.

"Yuu, stop! You need to snap out of it!" the brunette boy cried as he waved and tried to catch her attention.

Takeshi, who had been fighting by Yoichi's side throughout the whole battle, found himself glaring at the other archer as he followed him out into the open with his crossbow drawn.

"What, are you nuts, Saotome?" he demanded. "That creature isn't your squad mate, she's something else! You can't reason with her the way she is now! We gotta escape before she turns her wrath on us!"

Takeshi hoped that he would be able to make Yoichi see reason and hide with him again until Yuichiro calmed down but quickly realized it was too late when the ravenette turned her attention on them after hearing her squad mate call out to her.

But the look she gave them wasn't anything remotely resembling recognition. If anything, Yuichiro eyed them no differently than the vampires she had mercilessly slaughtered only moments before.

"Shit, she saw us!" Takeshi cursed before turning to Yoichi. "Run, Saotome! Or take out your bow and fight if you don't wanna die!"

Yoichi obeyed and attempted to summon his demon bow again as he and his fellow archer saw Yuichiro flying towards them. Since Takeshi already had his crossbow out, he decided to try and immobilize or at least slow Yuichiro down until Yoichi could draw his own weapon or get away.

Standing between the two, Takeshi attempted to shoot Yuichiro in a non-vital area but before he could even release his arrow, she viciously knocked him away with a powerful backhand to the face before repositioning her sword to impale Yoichi.

The brunette boy was so stunned and frightened, he could not focus enough to summon and draw his weapon and if not for Mikaela suddenly appearing between him and the raging Yuu, Yoichi would have found himself impaled on her sword.

Yoichi whimpered in shock and fear which caused his legs to fall out from under him when he saw Mikaela take the attack that was meant for himself. He watched in horror as the blade of Yuichiro's sword slowly protruded from Mikaela's chest further as he was being impaled from behind.

"Why..?" Yoichi gasped. "Why did you protect me?"

The blond vampire gave him a vicious glare. "Shut up, human," he snarled. "I'm not doing this for _you!_ You were the ones who did this to her!"

Yoichi blinked as if he had no idea what Mikaela was talking about. Not like he had the chance to ask before his nose picked up the scent of burnt flesh and saw dark blood dripping down a corner of his unwitting savior's mouth.

"Dammit, my wound isn't healing!" Mika cursed under his breath before he heard his sister snarl in a raspy voice.

"Stay out of my way, vampire! All sinners must die!"

And with that, Yuichiro flung Mikaela away like a ragdoll. Without the blond vampire to act as a shield, Yoichi was left completely defenseless against Yuichiro, especially now that he was too frightened and unfocused to even think straight.

Yoichi was about to succumb to his fear and resign himself to his fate when Guren suddenly offered him a heaven-sent lifeline.

"Yoichi, you can still save Yuichiro! Bring her back to her senses before it's too late!"

The brunette boy didn't quite understand what his superior meant by that but following his gut instinct, Yoichi quickly forced himself to get up and grab the raging girl in a fierce bear-hug before she could raise her sword to cut him down.

"Yuu, snap out of it! You gotta wake up now or we're all gonna die!" the brunette boy cried as he used all his strength to hold her in place.

Considering how easily Yuichiro was knocking down or destroying everything and everyone in her path earlier, one would think that an embrace from her shy and fragile squad mate wouldn't be nearly enough to pacify her. But miraculously, Yoichi's voice and gesture _did_ somehow managed to calm Yuichiro and she stopped screaming before collapsing and becoming limp in his arms.

"I don't believe it! It worked!" Yoichi breathed before gently lowering Yuichiro and laying her on the ground while watching with amazement as her fingernails returned to their normal state and her wings melted into her back like they never existed.

Ferid, who had been watching the entire scene unfold in silence, turned back to Guren when the other man's snickering caught his attention.

"So what do you think of my girl's performance? For a 'princess', she's a real hell-raiser, isn't she?"

The vampire lord smirked. "Maybe so, but your girl didn't accomplish much beyond a mild disturbance," he answered as he finally loosened his hold on Guren's throat and lowered him slightly.

Guren shook his head. "That's where you're wrong, bloodsucker. She's managed to distract you and your troops, and that was our main objective all along," he said smoothly as he gazed over Ferid's shoulder to the rooftop of a building in the distance behind him.

Catching on to the human commander's warning, Ferid spun around with Crowley following suit and saw a young man with snow-white hair in a sniping position on top of the building Guren was gazing at earlier. And though that building was several blocks away, Ferid easily made out the sniper's form with his sharp vampiric vision.

And he wasn't the only one. Shinya smirked when he saw the silver-haired vampire lord looking directly at him through the small telescope of his demonic rifle.

"Uh oh, it looks like they've spotted us! But not soon enough to make any difference. Destroy the bloodsuckers, Byakkomaru. And try not to hit Guren while you're at it. Bang!"

 _"_ _Your concern for your best friend is ever so touching, Shinya…"_ his demon contractor replied humorlessly but obeyed, manifesting itself into three white tigers surrounded in blue flames before speeding towards its ordered target when Shinya pulled the trigger.

Having been tipped off by the lieutenant colonel, Ferid moved quickly and flung Guren aside like a ragdoll before evading the oncoming blast that destroyed the area around them. Ironically, with his strength, the vampire lord had also unwittingly flung his enemy to safety as well.

"Whoo, that was too close for comfort!" Ferid exclaimed as he placed a hand on his chest and took a deep breath before turning to Crowley who also managed to get away from Shinya's demon in the nick of time. "If it wasn't for his big mouth, I'd be a smoking pile of ash right now."

But instead of giving a witty reply as usual, the other vampire lord said nothing and blankly stared over Ferid's shoulder.

Curious as to what his subordinate found so interesting, Ferid turned around to see Guren standing again in the distance with his sword drawn. And he wasn't alone. Behind the lieutenant colonel was an array of human soldiers, all clad in the black uniforms of the Japanese Imperial Demon Army.

"Oh, what's this? It looks like they've called for back-up while Yuichiro was busy trashing the city," Ferid said as understanding finally dawned on him.

"You'd think?" Crowley asked a bit sarcastically as he caught sight of another high-ranking human commander approaching Guren.

But instead of praising Guren for a job well done or even asking if he was all right, the other commander gave him a cold look and said:

"All right, Lieutenant Colonel Ichinose, we'll take it from here. Leave the rest up to the Hiragi family."

Guren smiled bitterly at his superior as he wiped the blood from his mouth. "Heh, you mean let _you_ take credit and reap the rewards of my work, Kureto?"

"Haha, don't complain Guren. I have every intention of rewarding you properly for your efforts." Turning to the other soldiers, including Guren's squad, Kureto continued.

"Take the nobles alive!" he ordered. "We'll show these despicable creatures what happens to anyone who opposes humanity, the Japanese Imperial Demon Army, or the might of the Hiragi Family!"

"Do you hear that, my lord?" Crowely asked Ferid after they both heard Kureto Hiragi's announcement. "It looks like we're not going to be able to take Shinjuku after all. Especially since that monster girl wiped out so many of our troops. Even as nobles, we can only do so much alone."

Ferid sighed. "I suppose you're right, Crowley, we'll have to try again another day. You can go now; I've got something, or rather, someone to tend to before heading back."

Before Crowley could ask what he meant, Ferid swiftly took to the air, leaving him to retreat on his own or fight the humans as he chose. And judging from the circumstances, Crowley decided that the former was probably wiser.

Now that it was finally safe to do so, the rest of Shinoa's and Satoshi's squads approached and surrounded the comatose Yuichiro. The girl's uniform had been torn almost to shreds from her violent transformation and rampage and now barely covered her body decently. So thinking quickly, Yoichi deftly removed his cape and placed it over Yuichiro to protect her modesty before Kimizuki hoisted her into his arms and stood up.

"Is she all right?" Risa asked worriedly as she gently placed a hand on Yuichiro's forehead.

"I think she'll be ok," Kimizuki answered. "I just checked her pulse and she doesn't appear to have any serious injuries."

"So what're we going to do now?" Takeshi asked as he rubbed his sore jaw. The irony of being assaulted by Yuichiro again in the very same spot she struck him the first time for pulling up her skirt was not lost on him. Only this time, his demon contractor gave him enough endurance not to be knocked out cold again, something Takeshi was secretly grateful for.

"Normally, I'd recommend taking her to a hospital or medical base, but it doesn't look like just any doctor or medic could treat what just happened to Yuichiro," Shinoa answered grimly.

"Aye…" Satoshi agreed. "But at least Miss Hyakuya helped us protect Shinjuku by terminating a lot of those vamps; she even made the nobles retreat."

"I wish there was another way we could have driven those bloodsuckers back without Yuu turning into a monster," Mitsuba muttered.

Riku grinned. "Aww, I didn't know you cared, Miss Sangu!" she teased.

Mitsuba blushed furiously. "Who said anything about caring? Miss Hyakuya may have turned the tide of battle in our favor but she also trashed the city even more while doing it!"

"What does that matter? Even if it gets trashed, the city could still be repaired. That's still better than losing it to the vamps altogether. So regardless of how it happened, Yuichiro saved all our lives, not to mention countless civilians as well," Daisuke pointed out.

Mika, who had been unable to move from the spot where he landed after Yuichiro stabbed and flung him, found himself snarling, his fangs bared, as he helplessly watched the humans his sister called her comrades discuss what they should do with her next. To him, it was as if they thought of Yuichiro as nothing more than a prized weapon to use as they saw fit, just like her guardian did.

"Damn you, bastards! Get away from her!" he wanted to shout but his weakened state made it impossible for him to speak above a normal tone.

"You should be more worried about yourself than your sister, Mika," a calm voice said from behind him.

The blond clenched his teeth as he forced himself to stand and glare at the last person he wanted to see, especially at this very moment.

"No, I'm not leaving without her!" he said harshly.

Ferid, who was obviously used to the younger vampire's rude and rebellious behavior, pointed over Mika's shoulder.

"I understand how you feel but now is not a good time," he replied, his voice sounding almost sympathetic. "Take a look at those nine kids surrounding Yuichiro. Do you really think they'll simply hand her to you without a fight? Even you have to admit it would be quite difficult for you to take them all on in your condition, Mika."

Knowing that his commander was right, Mikaela clenched his fists and cursed as he jealously eyed Kimizuki holding Yuichiro, who was wrapped in Yoichi's cape, in his arms bridal style. The Harada twins were stroking her hair while Shinoa and Mitsuba were discussing what to do next with Satoshi and Daisuke.

"Damn those human bastards!"

Ferid chuckled. "Very good, Mika! You're finally developing a proper disgust for humanity! I think Queen Krul would be proud!"

"Shut up! Nobody asked for your opinion! I have no more love for vampires than I do for humans!"

"Ah, so you hate humans _and_ you hate vampires. So where does that leave you? Well, I suppose only time will tell. But enough, Mika; we should be going now. You'll have another chance to rescue your princess, I promise you," the silver-haired vampire lord said patiently as if he were trying to pacify an agitated child.

Mikaela was about to tell Ferid to fuck off but before he could even open his mouth, he suddenly felt his commander's fist slam into his gut hard, knocking the wind out of him.

"Damn you, Ferid…" the blond gasped as he started to lose consciousness before collapsing into the older vampire's waiting arms.

"I'm sorry, my boy, but I really must insist," Ferid apologized smoothly as he tossed the unconscious Mikaela over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. "Queen Krul has given direct orders that you are to return to Sanguinem with the rest of us. And I'd hate to face her wrath if I let you die here so I hope you understand, Mika."

After making sure his hold on Mikaela was secure, Ferid took one last look at Yuichiro and her surrounding friends. When he, by chance, made eye contact with Shinoa who turned briefly from her friends to face him, the silver-haired vampire lord gave her a playful grin and wink as if saying: _"Later!"_ and jumped into the sky with his blond cargo, vanishing from sight.

 **Footnotes:**

 **1\. In Greek mythology, a harpy is a** **rapacious monster described as having a woman's head and body and a bird's wings and claws or depicted as a bird of prey with a woman's face. Unlike male!Yuu, I've decided to make fem!Yuu's seraph transformation a bit more polished and attractive, even if frightening.**

 **2\. In Greek and Roman mythology, the Furies were female spirits of justice and vengeance. They were also called the Erinyes (angry ones). Known especially for pursuing people who had murdered family members, the Furies punished their victims by driving them mad. When not punishing wrongdoers on earth, they lived in the underworld and tortured the damned. Instead of a monster, Guren compares fem!Yuu to a fury (a deliverer of justice) when she transforms into a seraph.**

 **3\. In the manga, male!Yuu does not fight Crowley at all; the fight scene between them is anime only though I did have fem!Yuu attack him briefly when he tried to fight her off.**

 **4\. In canon, seraphs only go after humans though they will not hesitate to attack and destroy vampires who get in their way as well, unless they are being controlled like Mirai Kimizuki. For my AU, I've decided to have fem!Yuu go after both humans and vampires to sate her destructive fury though she attacks mostly the vampires who try to take her on.**


	19. By Whatever Means Necessary

**Disclaimer: I do not own Owari no Seraph (Seraph of the End). I write this for your enjoyment only. This story is an alternate version of the Shibuya/Shinjuku Arc with differences from the original; please refer to the footnotes at the end. Once again, I would like to thank my beta reader, ResidentialPsycho, for her help in making this fic possible. Enjoy and please review!**

 **Chapter 19: By Whatever Means Necessary**

 **November 6, 2020**

 **Japanese Imperial Demon Army Shinjuku Quarters**

A thousand questions raced through the mind of Shinoa Hiragi as she made her way downstairs to the underground laboratory of the Shinjuku branch of JIDA Headquarters.

It had been five days since Yuichiro fell into her coma and had to be taken to the nearest medical center for treatment as well as confinement in case she were to transform again. But so far, there have been no signs of that happening. And try as she might, Shinoa could not get the images of her squad mate's violent rampage as well as animalistic screams out of her mind. As a child, the purple-haired girl had always been fascinated by mythical creatures of ancient legends around the world but never believed they existed.

Until someone she knew decided to create one.

" _I'm worried about Yuu; she doesn't look well…" Risa said in concern as she gently stroked Yuichiro's unbound and messy hair alongside her twin sister, Riku._

" _I know…" Yoichi replied. "But like Kimizuki says, she doesn't appear to have any serious injuries but I still think we should take her to the nearest medical center for treatment just to be safe."_

 _Kimizuki nodded as he tightened his hold on the comatose girl in his arms. "I'm way ahead of you, Yoi. The sooner we get Yuichiro to a doctor, the better. Let's go."_

 _The rest of Shinoa's and Satoshi's squads said nothing more but agreed to follow the pink-haired boy's lead. So concerned were the two squads for Yuichiro that no one noticed that Shinoa did not join them right away. Instead, the purple-haired girl chose to stay behind alone with her thoughts for a few moments longer before she heard the guardian of her raven-haired squad mate quietly walk up from behind her._

 _Turning around, Shinoa saw Guren look quietly over her shoulder and watch Yuichiro being carried away by Kimizuki while accompanied by the other members of her's and Satoshi's squads. There were no signs of surprise on the older man's face at what happened to his ward or what she had just done. It was as if he knew, even expected all this to happen._

 _Narrowing her mahogany eyes supiciously at Guren, Shinoa asked: "What just happened with Yuichiro, sir? And don't bother saying you don't know because your expression says otherwise. When this is over, I've got some questions for you."_

 _Instead of trying to deny or confirm his subordinate's claim, the lieutenant colonel gave her a cold and uncaring look._

" _You won't get any answers from me so don't bother coming, Shinoa…" he said coldly before turning around and leaving before she could say another word._

Shinoa gritted her teeth at the less-than pleasant memory. For the life of her, she could not understand how someone who had once been so protective of Yuichiro could regard her so carelessly now after what had just happened.

 _He's hiding something; I just know it…_ the purple-haired girl thought as she approached the lobby downstairs.

As she expected, the area was dimly lit with two large desks on each side of the path leading to a large metallic door. Not surprisingly, the door was closed and there were two young guards sitting on each of the desks; one was filling out paperwork while the other was casually reading a paperback novel to pass the time.

Upon hearing Shinoa's light footsteps, the guards looked up and regarded her curiously before the one who had been filling out paperwork finally stood up and approached her.

"I'm sorry, Miss, but unauthorized access to this area is strictly prohibited," the young guard said politely, but sternly as he barred her way to the doors ahead.

"I understand, but I'm a member of the MDC's vampire extermination unit," Shinoa answered coolly.

After taking a quick glance at her uniform, the guard shook his head. "Even so, we cannot permit entry to anyone below the rank of company officer."

Instead of answering right away, Shinoa looked over his shoulder to the door behind him. "Tell me, kind sir, just what do they do at this facility?"

"I'm afraid I can't tell you that either. Like I said before, this place is off-"

"It's where they run tests on the lab rats," the other guard answered casually before his co-worker could finish his sentence.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing?!" the first guard demanded as he shot him a glare.

"Aw, come on, every soldier in Shinjuku knows this so what's the harm in telling her since she's not from around here? Anyway, this is where they probe the captured vampires for any weaknesses we can use against them on the battlefield."

"I see…" Shinoa said quietly as she began fumbling in her pockets for something. "So they do experimentation on people here, is that right?"

The first guard snorted. "I don't think those monsters exactly qualify as 'people', Miss."

"I can understand your sentiment even if I may not agree with it completely," Shinoa replied as her thoughts briefly wandered back to Mika and his reactions towards Yuu back on the battlefield. "In any case, please let me through; I want some answers."

The second guard frowned. Despite being a bit more open and friendly than his co-worker, he still had to abide by the orders of their superiors not to permit unauthorized entry.

"I'm sorry, Miss, but like my friend says, we cannot allow anyone below the rank of company officer through here."

"Even if I have this?" Shinoa asked sweetly as she took out what appeared to be a gold-tone pocket watch with the crest of her family, the Hiragis, engraved upon it.

After taking a moment to look at the pocket watch, the guards' eyes widened in shock.

"That crest! _You're_ a member of the Hiragi family?" the first guard exclaimed.

"Yes, that's right. Now that you know, please let me though," Shinoa answered patiently.

"O-of course!" he babbled before stepping aside to let her pass.

As soon as the doors were opened, Shinoa slowly made her way though, stopping only for a moment when she heard the second guard call out to her.

"Excuse me, Miss, I hope you'll forgive me for saying so, but since the Hiragis run the Japanese Imperial Demon Army as well as the entire country as a whole, you should have a much higher rank than you do. Why remain at the rank of sergeant?"

Shinoa turned around briefly and gave him her usual cheerful smile. "Maybe because I like the way it sounds? That aside, I have no interest in the power struggles in the army, especially among my own relatives. After all, that's what got my sister killed. Good day, gentlemen…"

Leaving the two guards to ponder her words, Shinoa continued pass the door and out of propriety, closed it behind her as soon as she was on the other side.

As she quietly made her way down the dank hallway, the purple-haired girl noticed some imprisoned vampires who were still clad in their uniforms as if they had been only recently captured. The ones who were still strong enough to lift their heads and look at Shinoa, eyed her hungrily as if she were a piece of meat ripe for the taking. But knowing that they were too weak from starvation to attack her as well as being confined, Shinoa paid the vampires no heed and continued walking until she passed a second door at the end of the hallway.

Like she did when she passed the first door leading to the underground facility, Shinoa closed the second door behind her as well before letting her eyes take in the sight of an expansive laboratory with many scientists at work examining vials of blood and making observations.

Looking around, Shinoa spotted the man she was looking for sitting in an office on the second level of the laboratory through a glass window. The scientists on the first level were so absorbed with their work that they took no notice of Shinoa as she went up the stairs to Guren's office where she found him going over some paperwork on his desk.

Without knocking, the purple-haired girl opened the door and went in. Not surprisingly, she found Guren with his back to her; the man had not even bothered turning around when he heard her come in.

"So this is where you've been hiding…" Shinoa began. "I've been looking for you for five days."

Annoyed that his subordinate deliberately sought him out after he had told her not to, Guren set down the papers he had been looking over and gave a slightly frustrated sign before turning to face her.

"What do you want, Shinoa? Can't you see I'm busy?"

"This won't take long. Like I said back on the field, I've got some questions for you."

"And like I said then, you won't get any answers from me so please see yourself out," Guren shot back coldly.

Shinoa grinned. "You think I'll just give up? I'm disappointed in you, sir. After all these years, I think you ought to know me a little better than that. It's been five days and Yuichiro still hasn't woken up; what the hell did you do to her? Or more importantly, what are you _trying_ to do?"

Without waiting for her superior to answer, Shinoa pulled out a small plastic case with some small green tablets from her pocket and walked over to Guren's desk before tossing them in front of him.

"You ordered me to give Yuichiro a special combination of these stimulant pills because her cursed gear was so strong, but that wasn't the case at all, was it? The pills alone could not have turned her into that thing we saw on the battlefield five days ago. No, it has to be more than that! You've been doing something to Yuichiro all this time, haven't you? The drugs were merely the catalyst that triggered her transformation!"

After looking at his subordinate for a moment in silence, the lieutenant colonel burst into laughter.

"Is that anger I sense in your words, Shinoa? It's so rare for you to get that riled over anything or wear your emotions on your sleeve; no wonder people think you and Shinya are real siblings! Very well, Miss Hiragi, what answer can I give that will satisfy you? What would you say if I told you that I had nothing to do with Yuichiro's transformation?"

The purple-haired girl scowled, another rarity for her. "I'd call you a liar, _sir._ From the look on your face, I know there's no way you _aren't_ involved somehow."

Guren smiled coldly. "I knew you'd say that. Would it anger you further if I said you were just being delusional?"

For the first time in her short life, Shinoa found herself losing patience with the man her sister once called lover.

"Just tell me truth, dammit!"

"Can you handle the truth, Miss Hiragi?" Guren challenged. "Since you are being so persistent, don't be surprised if I mention human experimentation. Think about it, Shinoa, how do you expect what's left of humanity to survive in this cold, barren world while being caught between the Four Horseman of John AND the vampires, our modern day Scylla and Charybdis?" ***1***

"I…"

Not giving her a chance to finish, Guren continued. "As a soldier, you should know that sacrifices must be made in order to ensure the survival of humanity. And by any means necessary. Do you have any idea how many people were sacrificed so that your sister, Mahiru, could complete the development of the cursed gear?"

Shinoa clenched her fists. "So is that all Yuichiro is to you, _sir?"_ she demanded. _"_ A pig up for slaughter? I thought you were supposed to be her protector! Or did you simply raise Yuichiro all these years so you can sacrifice her to 'preserve humanity' as you so colorfully put it?!"

Guren frowned and for a moment, Shinoa thought she saw a hint of pain in his violet eyes at her brazen accusation. One that she hoped with all her heart wasn't true, if only for Yuichiro's sake. ***2***

"My plans for Yuichiro are none of your concern, Shinoa," he said softly. "Now go…"

"You still haven't answered my question!"

"I said _go,_ Shinoa. It would not be wise for you to press me further on this…" Guren warned, his tone sending a shiver down the purple-haired girl's spine. As persistent as she could be when she wanted something, even Shinoa knew when to back off.

Turning around, Shinoa prepared to leave. As she opened the door to the office, the purple-haired girl paused briefly in the doorway. Without turning around, she said:

"I don't know what your plans are, sir. But know that from now on, you'll have to go about them alone because I will not continue to help you hurt Yuichiro behind her back. Even if you order it."

Without expecting her superior to answer, Shinoa was about to leave for good when she finally heard Guren's voice behind her.

"I know… if it makes you feel any better, the drug will wear off in two more days. If you really care about Yuichiro, then be there for her when she awakens, Shinoa."

Shinoa wasn't sure if it was her imagination, but the older man's voice sounded sad, almost regretful.

However, instead of calling him out on it, she simply said: "Thank you, I will. Have a good day, sir…"

 **SSSSSS**

 **November 8, 2020**

Shinoa sighed as she looked up from the paperback she was reading to pass the time from her seat next to Yuichiro's bedside. It had been two days from the time she last spoke to Guren about Yuichiro and expected the other girl to be up any time now.

Reaching into the pocket of her shirt, Shinoa took out Yuichiro's locket and let the gold chain sift through her fingers for a moment before taking a closer look at the piece her friend treasured so much and insisted on wearing all the time, even into the shower.

As she admired the excellent craftsmanship of the locket, Shinoa realized the irony of how the piece that was Yuichiro's most cherished possession was also made by the hands of the vampire lord who slaughtered her family and the one who was likely responsible for her orphanage brother becoming a vampire as well.

Yet Yuichiro guarded it with her life because it was Mikaela who gave it to her. Ever since Yuu was admitted to the hospital, Shinoa had taken it upon herself to safeguard the locket for her friend until she woke up. Even now, it was hard for the purple-haired girl to believe that a vampire with the blackest of hearts could create something so beautiful.

Hoping that Guren was telling the truth when he said Yuichiro would wake up today, Shinoa gently placed her hands on her comatose friend's.

 _Please wake up soon, Yuu. I'm worried about you; we all are…_

As she expected, Yuichiro gave no answer but continue to slumber on, her breathing slow and even. Out of her JIDA uniform and in a hospital gown with her long hair unbound, no one could guess that she was the same creature who had literally wiped the streets with the vampires who were foolish enough to take her on a week ago.

Looking upon Yuichiro's peacefully sleeping face, Shinoa could not help but wonder what the ravenette was dreaming of…

 **SSSSSS**

" _Hey, Guren, where are we going?" Yuichiro asked nervously as she slowly followed her guardian down what appeared to be a dark stairway._ ***3***

 _Upon sensing his ward's hesitation to continue further, Guren turned around and gave her a reassuring, even if wolfish smile, as he offered the younger girl his hand. From what he knew of her past, Yuichiro strongly disliked dark, narrow, and small or closed spaces, having often been locked up in closets by her parents whenever she displeased them as a child. Even though she had managed to overcome most of her claustrophobia, Yuu still maintained a small discomfort of such places._

" _We're just going to get you checked up, make sure you're healthy and everything before you can continue training."_

" _In the middle of the night? Why can't it wait until morning?" Yuichiro asked curiously as she took Guren's hand._

 _Not long ago, her mentor showed up at her dorm after the other girls in the building had turned in for the night and requested that she come with him to this strange place that was closed off from the rest of JIDA Headquarters. Yuichiro was confused as to what could be so urgent that Guren would not even give her a chance to change out of her nightgown before bringing her here; she barely even had time to put on her shoes._

 _Guren chuckled at his ward's childish pouting. Even though she should have outgrown it by now, he still found Yuichiro's habit of questioning his decisions endearing so long as it wasn't on the battlefield._

" _You sure ask a lot of questions, Yuichiro. Why, don't you trust me?" he asked almost playfully._

 _The girl was startled. "Of..of course, I do!" She answered while blushing furiously. "It's just that it's a bit unusual for you to take me somewhere in the middle of the night without even letting me change first."_

" _I understand, Yuu. But if there's one thing you should know about me by now is that I would never ask you to do anything without a reason. Besides, there's no need for you to change; you'll be going back to sleep again real soon…"_

 _Yuichiro was about to ask Guren what he meant by that but her mentor didn't give her a chance, tugging on her hand a bit more insistently to get her to move a little faster._

 _Not wanting to annoy her guardian with any more trivial questions, the ravenette said nothing more and allowed him to lead her all the way down the stairs until they found themselves before an old metallic door. When Guren opened it, Yuichiro found to her surprise, that the door led to some sort of secret lab that brought back vague memories of her brief time at the Hyakuya Sect's medical facilities before she was released to her "uncle's" care._

 _Before Yuichiro could ask where they were and why he brought her here, Guren gently tugged on her hand again and led her to a bed just slightly bigger than the one she had at her dorm. The white pillows and sheets appeared very soft, warm, and inviting, reminding the girl of how sleepy she still was considering that Guren had woken her up in the middle of the night. Even though there were no clocks in the lab, Yuichiro was pretty sure it had to be three or four o'clock in the morning._

" _Lay down, Yuu…"_

 _The sudden request from her guardian caught Yuichiro off guard. "Here?"_

" _Yes," he answered patiently. "Someone will be coming to examine you soon; just relax until then. Here, let me help you get comfortable…"_

 _Although there were many questions on her mind, Yuichiro said nothing and obeyed, allowing Guren to help her into bed and tuck her in just like he did back home when she was a child._

 _As soon as she was settled comfortably, Yuichiro was startled again when she saw her guardian taking out a case from his pocket and opening it, revealing a needle and syringe with a strange greenish-blue liquid._

" _Guren, what's that?" the girl asked curiously with a hint of nervousness. In addition to her dislike of dark, small, narrow, and closed spaces, Yuichiro also disliked getting shots. She never got used to them as a child and still wasn't used to them._

 _Sensing his ward's unease, Guren gently ruffled Yuichiro's unbound hair as if letting her know that everything was going to be all right._

" _Shh…don't be afraid. This is just something to help you relax so please trust me…"_

" _Mmm… ok, if you say so, Guren."_

 _The older men smiled, leaned over, and gave Yuichiro a gentle kiss on her forehead._

" _Good girl…" he whispered before bringing the needle and syringe to the side of her neck._

 _Yuichiro winced slightly when she felt the needle pierce her skin but her eyes never left Guren's face. She couldn't help thinking how beautiful his smile looked when he wasn't being snide or cynical but also thought her guardian looked a little sad as well, as if his smile didn't reach his eyes._

 _The ravenette didn't have much time to ponder the thought before she felt her eyes grow heavy as sleep overtook her for the second time that night. Before she entered the world of dreams again, Yuichiro thought she heard Guren whisper:_

" _I'm sorry, Yuu…"_

 **Footnotes:**

 **1\. Scylla** **and** **Charybdis** **were mythical** **sea** **monsters** **; Greek mythology sited them on opposite sides of the** **Strait** **of** **Messina** **between** **Sicily** **and the Italian mainland.** **Scylla** **was rationalized as a rock shoal (described as a six-headed sea monster) on the Italian side of the strait and** **Charybdis** **was a** **whirlpool** **off the coast of Sicily. They were regarded as a sea hazard located close enough to each other that they posed an inescapable threat to passing sailors; avoiding Charybdis meant passing too close to Scylla and vice versa. According to Homer,** **Odysseus** **was forced to choose which monster to confront while passing through the strait; he opted to pass by Scylla and lose only a few sailors, rather than risk the loss of his entire ship in the whirlpool.**

 **2\. In canon, Shinoa and to an extent, Mitsuba, are implied to have romantic feelings for male!Yuu but in my AU, they share sisterly and friendship affection for fem!Yuu.**

 **3\. To avoid confusion, the dream sequence fem!Yuu has of Guren while Shinoa is watching her sleep in the hospital room is actually a flashback from before her transformation at the Battle of Shinjuku. I envision it to take place about a year or so before the beginning of the Shibuya arc but fem!Yuu has no memories of it. As Shinoa suspects, Guren has been experimenting on male!Yuu for some time in canon so I've decided to take some liberties with his experimentation on fem!Yuu for my fic as well.**


	20. I'll Save You

**Disclaimer: I do not own Owari no Seraph (Seraph of the End). I write this for your enjoyment only. This story is an alternate version of the Shibuya/Shinjuku arc with differences from the original; please refer to the footnotes at the end. Once again, I would like to thank my beta reader, ResidentialPsycho, for her help in making this fic possible. Enjoy and please review!**

 **Chapter 20: I'll Save You**

 **Sanguinem Palace**

 ** _"Detoxification of the curse is complete. Please step out of the detoxification chamber."_**

Mikaela Hyakuya slowly opened his eyes as the computerized voice finally shook him out of his sleep. Running a hand up his chest, the young blond found that there was no trace of the wound Yuichiro had given him and it was safe to assume that the wound in his back was gone as well. As soon as the doors to the detoxification chamber slid open, Mika sat up, completely nude, and noticed for the first time that his eyes were misty with tears.

 _It's so strange_ , he thought, _I haven't cried since becoming a vampire…_

Since he had been turned, Mika had witnessed countless horrors and tragedies on and off the battlefield but nothing disturbed or shocked him as much as watching his orphanage sister turn into a creature that was feared by humans and vampires alike. And the irony was that it was the people in her own army who had done it to her, not the vampires. Why, Mika had no idea, but was determined to find out the next chance he got to search for her again.

Forcing himself to sit up, Mikaela stretched his arms for a moment before climbing out of the small glass chamber he had been sleeping in for the last few hours since Ferid had forcibly brought him back to Sanguinem. The last thing the blond remembered was being slammed in the gut by his ex-benefactor before waking up in the medical ward of the palace where the servants politely asked him to remove his clothes before stepping into the detoxification chamber.

As upset with Ferid as he was then, Mika knew he had a more pressing concern which was to have the cursed wound Yuichiro gave him with her demon sword treated before it got worse so he quietly relented. Now that he was completely healed, the blond took the towel that was left on the side of the detoxification chamber for him by one of the servants and wrapped it around his waist before going into the dressing room next door.

Being the adopted son of the vampire queen, Mikaela had the luxury of his own private shower as well as more opulent living quarters than the other vampire guards. But since his chamber was all the way in the south tower of the palace, Mika opted to use the communal shower in the male guards' dressing room for now.

As soon as Mika stepped inside the shower and removed his towel, he heard a voice behind him.

"Took you long enough; I was wondering if you were ever going to wake up, Mika…"

Turning, the blond saw his fellow guardsman, Lacus, standing in the doorway, also clad only in a towel. Like with Ferid, Mika didn't exactly welcome or relish his presence.

"Your concern is not necessary, Lacus," Mika said coldly as he turned back and switched the water on.

Lacus sighed as he removed his own towel and stepped under the shower next to Mika's before turning on the water himself.

"You're welcome…" he replied with a slightly teasing lilt. "You know, I think you'd be a bit more popular among the guards and nobles if you'd engage a bit more, Mika. You know, act a little more befitting of a vampire prince, even if you _are_ adopted." ***1***

Mika ignored Lacus for a few moments as he soaped himself before rinsing off. Normally, the blond liked to take his time showering but this time, he just wanted to get away from the other vampire and his annoying tendency to pry into things that were clearly none of his business.

But knowing that Lacus wasn't going to leave him alone until he gave some kind of response, Mika said:

"I don't care about being popular with the guards _or_ the nobles for that matter. I only care about finding and saving my sister."

Lacus raised a brow. "Your sister? Are you talking about the creature who stabbed you in the chest _and_ back?"

Mika shot him a glare as he grabbed his towel from the rack, wrapped it around his waist, and stepped out into the dressing room where he found Rene already half-dressed. From the look of his loose, wet hair, Mika surmised that the older vampire had already showered before his and Lacus' arrival.

Not surprisingly, the purple-haired vampire followed him and persisted with his questions.

"What was that thing, Mika? You say she's your sister, but you two obviously look nothing alike."

"We are not related by blood. But that doesn't make her any less family to me," Mika answered coldly.

"Don't you think you're taking your sense of 'family' a bit too far, Mika? That monster girl caused so much destruction, killed many of our brethren, and didn't even spare _you_ when you tried to stop her from cutting that human boy down."

Mika spun around and glared at Lacus. "Yuu-chan is _not_ a monster!" he snarled.

"No? Then what is she?" the other vampire challenged. "She isn't a vampire but she's certainly no human either, at least not an ordinary one."

Before the blond could answer, both he and Lacus heard Rene sharply cut in.

"I think what we should really be worried about is if that 'monster girl' as you call her, is the only one. Imagine how much trouble it would be for us to face a whole army of them. I've heard rumors among the surviving guards of the Shinjuku battle that the humans have been meddling with a combination of science and forbidden sorcery to create the creature that girl became; the same one that ended the world eight years ago."

Forgetting Mika for a moment, Lacus turned to the raven-haired vampire. "Are you talking about the 'Seraph of the End'? But I thought that was only a legend!"

"I thought so too. But now I realize there must be some truth to it for the issue has already been raised at the Progenitor Council."

"Do you think that it was Lord Ferid's intention for us to retrieve that creature in Shinjuku?"

"Quite possibly. But the mission was a failure."

Lacus snorted. "I can never tell what's going on inside that bastard's head; sometimes I think he seems happier when we fail. What do you think, Mika? Rumor has it you and Lord Ferid were quite close; is that how you also wormed your way into Her Majesty's favor? I've always wondered what was it about you Queen Krul liked so much that she would make you her adopted son." ***2***

Not wanting to engage Lacus' intrusive questions further, Mika quickly got dressed and was about to leave when he heard the voice of his fellow guardsman calling out from behind him.

"If you won't talk, we can always look into your history on our own, _Prince Mikaela…"_

At the mention of his title, which Lacus had used in a less-than respectful manner, Mika turned around to face both him and Rene with a less-than sincere smile.

"Look into my history? Don't waste your time because you won't find anything worthwhile. After all, I'm just another filthy bloodsucker like you."

Rene raised a brow. "And what's that supposed to mean? You sure do love to talk in riddles, don't you, Hyakuya?"

Before Mika could answer, all three of them heard a voice over the intercom.

 **" _Mikaela Hyakuya, the Third Progenitor, Krul Tepes request your presence. Please report to the Royal Audience Chamber immediately."_**

Relieved that he finally had an excuse to leave this unpleasant conversation with his fellow guards, Mikeala opened the door and left the dressing room without another word.

 **SSSSSS**

Yuichiro slowly opened her eyes when she felt the cool air from an open window hit her face. Sitting up, the girl found herself in bed in a hospital room while clad in a nightgown.

 _What happened?_ She thought. The last thing Yuichiro remembered was speaking to Mikaela when…

The ravenette gasped when she remembered the brief discussion with her orphanage brother. Was it a dream? No, it couldn't be for Yuichiro remembered the sight of Mikaela's eyes as well as the feel of his slightly pointed ears and fangs vividly, down to the last detail.

Not only that, his new appearance exceeded her expectations and imagination during their four years apart. No longer did Yuichiro have to imagine what Mikaela would be like if he had lived to be her age.

Excited, the ravenette was about to get out of bed when she noticed the presence of another in her room. Looking down, she saw Yoichi half-sitting by her bedside while asleep with his head resting on his folded arms near her feet.

Curious, Yuichiro reached out and gently shook the sleeping boy awake. "Hey, Yoi! What happened? How did I get here?"

Instead of answering her right away, Yoichi glanced at Yuichiro for a second before he startled bawling and threw his arms around her.

"Hey, what's wrong Yoi? You act like I died or something!" the ravenette teased as she returned his embrace. Releasing one of her arms from Yoichi, Yuichiro reached for a tissue in the tissue box on the nearby night table and handed it to the brunette boy.

Yoichi laughed nervously as he accepted the tissue and blew his nose. "S-sorry, Yuu! I'm just so happy you're finally awake!"

Releasing Yuichiro, Yoichi was about to run out of the room before she called out to him.

"Hey, where are you going?"

Turning around briefly, the younger boy smiled and said: "I gotta let everyone know you're finally awake! They've all been worried sick about you, even Mitsuba!"

Yuichiro raised a brow and was about to question Yoichi further but didn't get chance before he ran out of the room, leaving her to ponder his words until he returned a few minutes later with the rest of their squad and Satoshi's. Only Risa and Riku were not present.

"So how're you feeling, Miss Hyakuya?" Shinoa asked playfully as she casually strolled up to her friend's bedside. Like Yuichiro, everyone was out of uniform and clad in more casual attire.

"I…" Yuichiro wasn't sure how to answer her squad leader and reached for her locket before realizing that it wasn't there.

Panicking, she gasped. "Hey, where's my…?"

Shinoa smiled and cut Yuichiro off. "I believe you were looking for this?" the purple-haired girl teased as she pulled Mikaela's heart-shaped locket from the pocket of her blouse and swung it in front of Yuichiro for a moment before putting it back around the other girl's neck where it belonged.

The ravenette gave a sign of relief as she clutched her treasured locket. "Thanks, Shinoa. For a second there, I thought I lost it."

Shinoa laughed light-heartedly as she tried not to think of the unpleasant conversation she had with her friend's guardian regarding Yuichiro five days ago.

"Think nothing of it, Yuu. I know how much that locket means to you so I took care of it while you were sleeping the week away."

Yuichiro stared at her. "A week? I've been asleep that long? What happened, anyway? And how did I get here?"

"Hey, one thing at a time, Miss Hyakuya. After all, you just woke up from a week long coma and we wouldn't want to put too much strain on your heart, now would we?" Satoshi joked as he walked into the room while accompanied by Daisuke and Takeshi and placed a vase fill with pink roses on Yuichiro's night table.

Looking at the gift reminded Yuu of the time Satoshi and Daisuke offered her roses and candy as an apology for talking Takeshi into pulling up her skirt to see if she was really a girl.

Turning to Daisuke, she said, "Let me guess, you got me some See's Candies again, right, Dai?"

The red-haired boy blushed. "How'd you know?" he asked as he pulled out the small candy box he was hiding behind his back.

"Because we all know how much you like western stuff, especially their chocolates. I'm glad I can be here to see you get them this time, unlike when I had to spend a few days in the hospital for the doctor to reset my jaw after you hit me," Takeshi joked while purposely neglecting to mention how Yuichiro struck him there a second time when he tried to protect Yoichi from her deadly rampage.

Mitsuba snorted as she placed her hands on her hips. "From what I remember, you certainly asked for it, Takeshi-kun."

"Now, now, that was a long time ago and the boys did apologize, Mi-chan," Shinoa gently chided. "What's most important is that Yuu gets better so she can return to active duty and we should all be helping her with that."

"That's right, so how're you feeling?" Kimizuki asked, his brow furrowing in concern. "You've been out so long, I was wondering if you were ever going to wake up."

Yuichiro smiled. "Were you really that worried about me?"

"Of course, he was," Yoichi giggled before the pink-haired boy could open his mouth. "After all, Kimizuki was the one who carried you all the way here after you passed out."

The pink-haired boy blushed furiously. "Hey!" he protested. "Don't go making stuff up like that!"

Kimizuki's reaction was so hilarious, everyone could not help bursting into laughter, including Yuichiro, before she got serious again.

"You know," she began, "I am kind of hungry since I haven't eaten in a week. Maybe I can have some of that chocolate Daisuke brought?"

"Sure," the red-haired boy said as he dropped the See's Candies box onto Yuichiro's lap but before she could ask for a knife to cut off the plastic wrapping, everyone heard another voice call out.

"Hey, wait, you don't want to spoil your appetite, Yuu! Leave the chocolates for dessert!"

Turning, everyone in the room saw Riku and Risa Harada at the door, each twin carrying a platter with a lid on it. Even though she couldn't see what was under them, Yuichiro could still recognize that heavenly aroma anywhere.

"Is that pizza?" Yuu asked excitedly as she tried to refrain from drooling.

"Yup, sure is!" Riku said cheerfully as she took the lid off the platter in her hands to reveal a large supreme freshly-baked pizza.

"Shinoa told us pizza was one of your favorite foods, so we did our best to bake you some," Risa added while removing the lid off her platter as well. Upon closer inspection, everyone noticed the edges were slightly burnt.

"Is this the first time you two tried to bake a pizza?" Kimizuki asked curiously. "Because the ones you have look a bit over-cooked."

"Yeah, I know. I told Risa the pizzas only needed to be in the oven for twenty minutes or so, but she insisted on leaving them in there for a half hour," Riku said as she shot her twin a look of annoyance.

"Hey, it's better to have them a little over-cooked than too raw!" Risa shot back defensively.

Not wanting the twins to start a fight, Yuichiro cut in. "It's ok, I'm so hungry, I don't care either way," she said. "But I can't possibly eat two pizzas by myself, so why don't we all eat them together?"

"Oooh, that's a great idea!" Shinoa exclaimed. "I've actually never had pizza or much western food in general."

"Yeah, me either…" Mitsuba added.

"Great, since we all agree, let's dig in! Afterwards, we can probably have the chocolates Daisuke brought for dessert if that's ok with you, Miss Hyakuya," Satoshi said as he turned to Yuichiro again.

"Of course; I don't mind at all. Is there anything to drink? I'm pretty thirsty too."

"Oh, let me take care of that. I'm sure we can get some sodas from the vending machine down the hall," Takeshi said as he prepared to leave.

"Wait, I'll come, too!" Yoichi insisted. "You'll probably need some help carrying back enough for everyone."

"Ok, Saotome. Everyone, we'll be gone for a few minutes, so please take good care of Yuu."

After the two brunette boys had left, Yuichiro finally asked the question that had been on her mind since she woke up with Yoichi at her bedside.

"Shinoa… Satoshi… what happened back on the battlefield? I know I didn't dream everything up. What I want to know is what happened to me and how I ended up here."

The two squad leaders were silent for a moment before Shinoa spoke up. Since Yuichiro was a member of her squad and not Satoshi's, she felt obligated to fill the other girl in on the details after she passed out.

"Don't you remember anything, anything at all, Yuu?"

"Well, yes, and no. I think I remember bits and pieces but it's still a bit blurry to be honest…" the ravenette confessed as she placed a hand on her forehead.

"Well, about halfway through the battle, you said you were tired and fell asleep," Shinoa joked. That comment got her a disapproving look from Satoshi.

"Miss Hiragi, I'm a little disappointed in you. As a squad leader, I think you have an obligation to be a bit more honest with your subordinates."

Shinoa waved him off. "I know, I was just kidding, Mr. Hiwatari," the purple-haired girl said before clearing her throat and becoming serious again. "What really happened is that you suddenly fainted for some reason and both our squads were in danger of being annihilated. But luckily, our reinforcements led by my brothers arrived just in time to drive the vampires back. We weren't able to kill or capture any nobles and the majority of the common vampires got away. But we did manage to capture a few alive while securing Shinjuku for Demon Army."

Yuichiro was startled. "Really? And what about Mika? He was there, wasn't he? I didn't dream or imagine seeing him?"

"Of course not; we all saw him. Unfortunately, he was with the vampires."

Yuichiro frowned. Her squad leader's words confirmed without a doubt that Mikaela had indeed been converted to vampirism as she had discovered herself when she touched him and looked into his eyes.

"I see… can you tell me what happened to him? I take it Mika wasn't one of the vampires your brothers captured."

"You're right, he wasn't. I know you won't like this, but he was taken away by that silver-haired noble."

Yuichiro frowned. "I see…"

Sensing her squad mate's disappointment, Shinoa continued. "But from what I can see, Mika didn't go back with his superior voluntarily. He was worried about you until the very end."

"Oh… was he hurt?"

"Not from I can see…" The purple-haired girl lied as she recalled how Ferid carried Mikaela off after knocking him unconscious because he refused to leave quietly. Even if the blond vampire wasn't seriously hurt, Shinoa saw no reason to worry Yuichiro any further by mentioning that sordid detail.

"And Guren?"

"He's all right," Shinoa assured. "Your guardian was banged up a bit, but he's a tough old bird so I wouldn't worry about him. You should be concentrating on getting better yourself. Nii-san and the rest of Guren's squad are worried about you, too. They said they're sorry they couldn't visit but asked us to take care of you in their stead." ***3***

"It's all right, Shinoa; they've already done so much for me, taken such good care of me when I was still living with Guren, so I don't want to burden them; especially now when there's a war going on. Just knowing that they, Guren and Mika, are alive and well is good enough for me."

"That's the spirit!" Shinoa praised. "Now in regards to Mika, I know you're overjoyed to find your brother alive and well, but that doesn't mean you should rush head-on into the vampire city to find him as soon as you get out of the hospital, you know what I mean?"

Yuichiro rolled her eyes. "Of course, Shinoa. Do I look like someone who would do that?"

"Yes…" Risa said, the words rolling out of her mouth before she could stop them. Riku gave a sigh of slight frustration at her twin's inability to keep her thoughts to herself at times before giving Risa a light jab in the ribs with her elbow.

"Oww!" the brunette girl winced before giving her twin a glare.

Instead of being annoyed, Yuichiro giggled at the Harada sisters' antics which she found cute. A moment later, they heard footsteps and turned to see that Takeshi and Yoichi had returned with their arms full of soda cans.

Seeing a chance to end the awkward moment, Satoshi took it. "Good, you brought the drinks. How about we forget everything for now and just dig in?"

"Oh yeah, I'm starved!" Yuichiro said excitedly. "Do we have any plates?"

"Yeah, we brought some paper plates," Riku answered, revealing a pack of paper plate she had been holding under the platter in her hands.

"That's great. We should eat before the pizzas gets cold," Mitsuba suggested.

"Way ahead of you, Mitsu!" Yuichiro said as she held out her hands for the first plate and slice, prompting good-natured laughs from both the squads gathered in her room.

 **SSSSSS**

Mikaela paused for a moment before the doors to the royal audience hall as took a deep breath and smoothed out his uniform to ensure he looked presentable before going to see his dame, ***4*** Queen Krul Tepes. The blond knew without a doubt that the vampire queen would question him on how the Battle of Shinjuku went, especially since she trusted Mika far more than Ferid to be truthful on all the details.

Not like there was much to lie about. The fact that Ferid's faction had failed to take the human city for the vampires as well as losing many of their soldiers to the humans through death or capture was no secret.

Even so, Krul wanted a full report from her most trusted confident so as soon as he was ready, Mikaela opened the great doors to the royal audience chamber and went in.

As soon as she heard him enter, the vampire queen set down the wine glass filled with blood that she had been sipping on like fine wine on the arm rest of her throne and smiled at him.

"Greetings, Mika. I'm glad to see you've returned alive and unharmed. So how goes the battle?"

Bringing himself to one knee and bowing his head in a gesture of respect for his queen and vampire mother, the blond placed a fist over his heart before answering.

"My queen, I regret to inform you that we lost Shinjuku. If Ferid told you this, he did not lie."

"I know… the servants around the palace picked it up from the surviving soldiers and have been whispering it as if late. Even so, did you find what you were looking for in Shinjuku? Or rather, _who?"_

Mikaela nodded as he lifted his head. "I have, Your Majesty," he answered softly as thoughts of Yuichiro finally put a small smile on his face. Even though Mika wished it had been under different circumstances, he was grateful to find that his orphanage sister was alive and well.

And not only that, Yuichiro had finally accepted her true gender and true self, as he always wished and hoped she would.

Krul smiled, every bit as pleased as her adopted son.

"Good. I'm glad. Don't worry, Mika, I'm not displeased that we lost Shinjuku so long as we've confirmed the existence of Yuichiro Hyakuya."

"Yes. Likewise, my queen."

 **SSSSSS**

Later that night after her friends had left her to rest once more until morning, Yuichiro took a much-needed refreshing shower after being comatose and bed-ridden for a whole week.

Lifting her face to the showerhead and letting the running water fall onto her face, hair, and body, the ravenette found her hand wandering to her treasured locket again. For years, Yuichiro had kept it as a reminder of the family she tragically lost but now that she knew Mikaela was alive, the locket held a new meaning for her.

After she had finished showering, Yuichiro approached the window of her bedroom while clad in a fluffy white towel, and looked up at the starry night sky with the full moon on the horizon.

 _Just you wait, Mika…_ Yuu thought as she closed her fist around her locket. _I don't know when or how, but I swear on my life, I'll save you!_

Little did she know that far away, a young blond vampire prince was looking up at the same sky, gazing at the same moon, while making the same vow...

 **SSSSSS**

Ferid Bathory took a deep breath from his perch atop a ruined building laced with graffiti. His sharp vampiric hearing picked up the sounds of a door opening and approaching footsteps coming from behind him.

Without turning around, the silver-haired vampire lord smiled and spoke out of the blue.

"Ahh…so it looks like you were able to make it after all. Don't you find it amusing that the humans' lust for power are blinding them to the dangers and consequences while we vampires are equally blind and arrogant for taking them far too lightly?"

When he received no answer, Ferid turned around to face his mysterious visitor, a tall man in a dark cloak that concealed his face and body.

"Both sides are equally foolish," he answered simply.

"Hmm…I can't argue with that," Ferid agreed before handing him a leather case containing some important paperwork. "In any case, here's the research material I promised you, partner. Have fun!"

The cloaked man said nothing but took the case he offered and prepared to leave. However, before opening the door and vanishing from Ferid's sight, he turned back and gave the silver-haired vampire lord a brief glance.

"I'll see you again, Bathory. If we live that long," he said, his voice void of any emotion.

Unfazed by the other man's grim words, Ferid simply gave his usual cheerful smiled that concealed any concern or care he may have and said:

"Likewise, partner."

 **Footnotes:**

 **1\. Nobody in canon refers to Mikaela as a prince, even if he was adopted by Krul. Vampires earn their ranks or noble status by strength. But for my AU, I've decided to make Mika a prince the other vampires refuse to acknowledge out of jealousy.**

 **2\. In canon, vampires do not have the same concept of family as humans so while Mika was adopted by Krul, he is not publically acknowledge as her son, but her 'favorite' even though she does refer to him as her son in the manga. I've decided to take more liberties by making Mika officially Krul's adopted son.**

 **3\. I am unsure if Shinoa refers to Shinya as 'nii-san' or simply addresses him by name but since they are as close as real siblings, I assume she does.**

 **4\. In the Anne Rice novels, a vampire parent is called a "sire" if male, and a "dame" if female. The vampires they create by passing on their blood are called "fledglings". I thought it would be interesting to use the same concept for my AU since the Seraph vampires cannot procreate naturally; they can only use their blood to turn humans which is a form of vampire procreation.**


	21. Author's Notes and Sequel Notice

**Author's Notes and Sequel Notice**

 **Hi, this is Elly3981 and I would like to thank everyone who has been reading and reviewing both my fem!Yuu stories so far! After thinking about it for a bit, I've decided to end my version of the Shibuya/Shinjuku arc here and start a new installment, a new "book" for my version of the Nagoya arc so that my readers don't have to scroll down so many chapters. To make it simple, I'm going to call it "Broken Bridges, Mended Hearts II" so look forward to it because I plan on having the first chapter up in a few weeks.**

 **On another note, if the numbers of my chapters seem a little off, its because I've decided to go back and split one of my previous chapters "Shadows of the Past" in half due to its length and the fact that I want this installment to be an even twenty chapters since I'm such a perfectionist, lol.**

 **Anyway, happy reading and see you next chapter! :D Don't forget to add me to your favorite authors list and check out my page on Twitter, Tumblr, and DeviantArt for arts and illustrations of my fem!Yuu fics. My pen name on all three sites as well as on Archive of Our Own is also Elly3981. :)**


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